The Woman in the River
by perscribo
Summary: Months after Booth's mother's body was found, Booth and Brennan's baby girl arrives. Established BB relationship. Story complete!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is a little bit AU. BB are married. Let's just assume they got together in season 2, not long after Sully sailed off into the sunset. Everything else that happened on the show still holds true. If you really must know I'd say this story is set some time in late season 4, after Mayhem on the Cross. **_

_**This storyline or something similar has probably been done before, I'm not sure. But if there are here's my take on it, and in no way has been copied from anyone else. All the ideas come straight from my head! And maybe a little comment made by Stephen Nathan some time ago. I'm not sure if it was meant to be spoiler-ish. **_

_**If you don't know by now, I'm a big BB fan, and a Booth fan, so this fic is Booth-centric. It isn't meant to contain spoilers for the new season, but if it turns out there're similarities, then it's just a weird coinky dink!**_

_**And before I start, I'd like to say thank you to all who read my last fic and put me on author alert. **_

Booth kept his eyes on the road, the headlights of the other cars stinging his already tired eyes. The partners had just wrapped up a case in Greensboro and they were on the drive back home. They had thought they would get home before night fall but a giant pile up involving a truck, an SUV and a station wagon a couple of hours ago had set them back considerably.

The bright green light on the SUV's dash read 4:47am, reminding Booth of how late, or rather early the hour was, and how he really shouldn't have been driving. His eyelids grew heavy. Another half hour or so and they would be back in DC. He just had to keep himself awake a little longer. One minute he was thinking of the report he was going to have to write and the next he heard the loud blaring of a car horn.

Booth swerved just in time to avoid a head-on collision with another car traveling in the opposite direction. Awakened by the commotion Brennan sat up, eyes still heavy with sleep. She looked over at her husband, who was sitting upright with his eyes wide open.

Booth took a few deep breaths in an attempt to clam his pounding heart. The adrenaline coursing through his body made him feel very awake.

"You fell asleep at the wheel?"

"No." He looked over at his wife who returned his look with an I-know-you're-lying glare.

"Alright fine, I might have shut my eyes for a second."

"We should pull up to a motel. Or I could take the wheel."

"What? No. I'm fine. Besides another hour or two tops and we'll be home."

"Booth."

"I'm fine honey, I won't kill us, don't worry."

"Fine then I'll talk to you to keep you awake."

"Go back to sleep you're tired. You've been working hard and you've got an entire day ahead of you. Don't forget we gotta pick Matt from your Dad's in the afternoon."

The thought of their sixteen month old son brought a smile to her face. Matthew Booth was a handful, bounding with energy and ever since he learnt how to walk and talk. He was a blur of non-stop activity from the moment he woke in the morning to the time he went to bed.

"I wonder how he's doing." Brennan mused.

"I'm sure Matt's fine. Max would have called if something he couldn't handle happened. Besides we told Max to take him to daycare."

"It's not Matthew I'm worried about."

Booth laughed. He missed his younger son already.

"If you're worried you could call Max in the morning. Or we could swing by your Dad's before we head home, make sure both of them are still alive."

"I'll call Dad when we reach DC."

She snaked a hand to massage the nape of Booth's neck, working on the knots of tension she found there.

"Mmmm… that feels really good. Maybe tonight you could work on my back."

"If I'm not too tired." Brennan teased. She let her hand fall to his lap, gently caressing his inner thigh. "If I'm not too tired, I could work on some other parts of your anatomy too."

"Bones getting me turned on isn't gonna help me concentrate on driving."

Brennan laughed, brushing her hand over his growing arousal. "We haven't made love in almost two weeks. This is the first time we've gone so long without it, not counting the time I had Matthew."

"There was the time you went to Australia for three weeks."

"That doesn't count Booth we were physically apart."

Booth groaned. "There's no need to remind me how long its has been, I think my body's doing a great job of doing that already."

Booth took her hand in his and brushed his lips over her knuckles. He returned her hand to her lap. "Tonight. After Matt goes to bed."

"And if we don't have another case."

"Bones! Now you've jinxed it. We've worked three cases straight now."

"I'm not superstitious."

"Just, get some sleep ok? We'll be back at the Jeffersonian soon." Booth feigned annoyance.

Brennan smiled wanting to stay awake to keep Booth company, but her tiredness soon lulled her back to sleep. She woken what seemed like minutes later by the ringing of Booth's cellphone.

It was now light and the sun was rising, telling her that it had been more than a couple of minutes that had passed. She listened as Booth talked to who she assumed to be Cam on the line.

"Yeah we'll be there in an hour."

Booth snapped his cell shut.

"Told you." He grumbled.

"We have a case?"

"Yeah. Metro police fished a car out of the Potomac. Looks like suicide but the remains are too decomposed for them to be absolutely sure. Plus they would like you to help ID the remains."

Brennan sighed. "I guess I'd better call Dad. Looks like he's gonna have to keep Matt a little longer."

An hour later Booth pulled up along the banks of the river. He yawned as he climbed out of the car.

"Welcome home guys." Cam greeted them.

Ending her conversation on her cell, Brennan climbed out and joined Booth beside Cam. "Matt's fine, Dad is taking him to daycare now."

"Good to know." Booth smiled. "So Camile, do you really need us here or did you miss us?"

"See for yourself."

Brennan was already examining the skeleton still in the driver's seat of the car. She had been married to Booth for almost two years now and they had managed to keep their personal and professional lives separate. Her mind had switched from mother to forensic anthropologist in an instant. Gloves on, she stuck her head into the driver's side window.

"Dentition shows our victim to be in his sixties. Caucasian, female who has given birth."

"That's it?" Booth asked glancing up from his little black notebook.

"You aren't expecting cause of death right now are you?"

"I'd like to know if the victim was murdered, so I can go home, shower and head back to the Hoover Building."

"From the extent of decom and condition of the skeleton, plus there seem to be some bones missing, I can't say for sure till we - "

"Right, ship everything back to the Jeffersonian."

"Yes." Brennan agreed.

Booth rolled his eyes and sighed. "There goes my shower. You're lucky I love you."

"If you two love birds are done here, I think we should be heading back. Hodgins should be arriving shortly to collect soil samples from the area." Cam smiled. It was good to have the dynamic duo back.

Five hours later. Booth was napping on Brennan's couch in her office when Angela walked in.

"Hey Bren, I'm done with the facial reconstruction, you guys should take a look."

"Ok, Cam is comparing dental records so we should be able to ID the victim soon."

Booth sat up, rubbing his face with his hands, trying to rub the sleep away. "So we're certain our victim didn't commit suicide?"

"Cam didn't find any diatoms in the marrow, so our victim didn't drown. I would imagine it would be hard to be dead them drive yourself into a river."

Angela laughed and Booth smirked. "Hey look at that! You made a joke Bones!"

Booth got up and made his way to Brennan, wrapping his arm round her shoulder. "Looks like I'm rubbing off on you huh?"

"Yes being married to you for some time has certainly made me catch on to some of your traits."

Angela cleared her throat. "I know you guys are cute together but, the face. You guys still wanna look at it?"

The trio made their way to Angela's office, Angela leading the way and Booth bringing up the rear his hand at the small of Brennan's back.

The image on Angela's screen showed a woman, looking to be in her sixties as Brennan had first concluded.

Brennan felt Booth's hand drop from her back, then realized he was no longer right behind her.

"That can't be right."

"What?" Brennan turned to look at Booth, whose face had gone slightly pale.

"There has to be some sort of mistake, the face, that can't be right."

"It looks to be rather accurate to me." Brennan replied, unsure what her husband's concern was.

"Questioning my skills Booth?" Angela joked.

Booth shook his head. "There has to be a mistake."

He turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Brennan and Angela to stare at each other, puzzled.

_**So this chapter was just the introduction, setting the scene, there's more to come. Soon. **_

_**I'd love to find out what you think. Hope you guys liked it.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you all for your story alerts and author alerts. And to those who reviewed, **__**mendenbar (sorry that you have trouble posting reviews but appreciate your effort in sending me PMs! Glad you're enjoying my stories, and you think they're spot on. Makes me real happy), EmmyMayyy**__** (thank you for your PMS and reviews too), wazo29, **__**TravelingSue**__**, **__**stephaniew**__** , **__**Nedra1212**__** (I hadn't noticed, the part about what Brennan said, was some time ago since I watched season 1), **__**CMW2**__**, **__**Becksbones**__**, **__**midid**__**, **__**BwayKate44**__**, **__**annakarol13**__**, Ger (you're here too! I love seeing your reviews!)**_

_**All of you who guessed, guessed correctly as to who the woman is. And I'm really glad all of you think BB in a relationship, married is good. I just hope HH sees it too that on the show, BB can be in a relationship, not necessarily married and still have good storyline and keep the viewers coming back. **_

Before both women could decide what to make of Booth's reaction, Cam came storming in.

"I've got a match on the dentals. Anyone seen Booth?"

"He was here a minute ago. When he saw the facial reconstruction, he said it was a mistake and walked out."

"Oh no." Cam shook her head as her gaze fell on the face on the computer screen in front of her.

"What is it?" Brennan asked puzzled.

"You should go to him Dr Brennan."

"Why?"

"Just go to him. It would be better if he explained things to you."

Brennan found Booth sitting on the yellow couch on the second floor of the lab, in the area that served as the team's break room. He had his face buried in his hands.

"Booth?"

"Just… leave me alone Bones." Booth's face was still buried in his hands.

"What's wrong?"

"I just… I need some space ok?" Booth raised his head to look at her. Brennan recognized the look of hurt on her husband's face. He looked like that sometimes when he was forced to kill someone because of work.

"I don't understand. Did you know the victim?"

"Just please. Leave me alone!" Booth raised his voice, regretting it the moment the words left his mouth.

Brennan felt tears prick her eyes. In their time together Booth almost never raised his voice at her. She blinked, then turned, heading for the safety of her office.

Booth felt instantly guilty as he watched her walk away. The more he thought about it the worse he felt.

Some time later Cam appeared. Booth stared at her with a sullen look.

"Don't you start."

"We're all worried about you Seeley. Dr Brennan can't figure out what's going on."

"So you pulled the dental records? It's a match?" Booth asked, needing evidence to confirm what he already knew.

Cam nodded, taking a seat beside her longtime friend. She handed Booth the folder containing the victim's photograph and details. Booth pulled out the photograph, staring at it for a moment before looking through the folder's contents wordlessly.

"We all care about you big guy."

"Yeah. I know. I probably shouldn't have yelled at Bones."

"It's understandable. You thought she was dead."

"That's what Pops told us."

"Maybe he didn't know."

"I get the feeling maybe he did, just wanted to shield Jared and me form the truth."

"It must have been what, almost thirty years since you last saw her?"

"I was nine. I still remember it like it was yesterday."

"I had to stop to stare when I saw the face on her computer. It had been years since I last saw her too. Angela's facial reconstruction is very accurate."

"Yeah, I guess she's even better than we all give her credit for huh? She aged the face really well, one look and I could tell, it's her."

"Angela didn't age the face, that's what your mother looked like right till – " Cam stopped, unsure if she should continue.

"Till someone decided to murder her."

"You're not thinking…"

"Right now Camille, I don't know what to think. I don't even know what happened to him, is he still alive? Pops doesn't know. Was it my old man? Finally caught up to her? Someone else?"

Cam put a hand on Booth's knee and squeezed. "We're all here for you Seeley. I know you never expected this."

"You kidding me? This happening never once crossed my mind. Too much like how Bones found her Mom doncha' think?"

"Yes. Coincidence. I doubt your parents were career criminals."

"I don't know, my Dad… well you know. Maybe if I – "

"Don't go there Seeley. It's not gonna lead anywhere good."

Booth turned his gaze away from Cam.

He stared blankly ahead. This was all too much for him to process. He had always believed his mother to be dead. Killed in a car crash shortly after she left them. Or at least that was what him and Jared had always been told. Now it seemed she had been alive and well. Where had she been all this time? What did she do all these years? Did she think of them? Why did she leave them with their father when she knew what he was like? Was she better off without them? The questions tortured his mind. Cam was right he was going down the rabbit hole.

"I should ah, probably tell Jared. He'd want to know."

"You need to talk to your wife first."

Back in her office Brennan was increasingly worried. She had seen her boss go to Booth and wondered if anyone could get through to him. Then she saw her sit down beside him and decided she'd seen enough.

"I don't understand why he would talk to Cam instead of me."

"Sweetie, Booth and Cam go back a long way."

"Logically speaking, I agree. Their friendship extends beyond the years Booth and I have but I'm his wife."

"You're jealous?"

"Am I? I know I shouldn't be. I should be glad that whatever's bothering him, he's telling someone."

"Aww sweetie, you know Booth loves you and only you."

"I know Ange. It still is rather unpleasant to see my husband confide in another woman besides myself on something that clearly is bothering him greatly."

The two women were interrupted by Booth's knock on the door.

"I'd leave you two alone now."

"Thanks Ange." Booth muttered as the artist hurried out of the room.

"I'm sorry Bones." Booth said as he walked in.

Brennan indicated that they should sit on the couch, closing the door, keeping their conversation away from prying ears.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, it's just that – " Booth handed Brennan the brown folder.

Sitting down, Brennan opened it, reading the information on their victim. "Diane Holland, age sixty-five, previously Diane Booth, and before that she was Diane Zanetti." Brennan studied the photograph of their victim. She could tell from the bone structure that this woman and Booth were closely related.

"This woman is your - "

"Mom."

"But you said she died not long after she walked out on you and Jared."

"Yeah that's what Pops said."

"There's an address here. She lived in Fairfax, Virginia."

"Guess it never occurred to her to come lookin' for us huh?"

"You were living with Hank in Philadelphia years ago. Perhaps she never realized you and Jared are living here now."

"You would think she'd move like to Alaska to get away from my Dad."

"She must have had a reason."

"For leaving us with our Dad? An abusive alcoholic? I'm sure it must've been a real good reason."

Brennan reached for Booth's hand. "I'm sorry."

Booth shook his head ever so slightly. "Why are you even apologizing? It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry I raised my voice."

"This comes as a shock to you. I remember how I felt when I found out about my parents. Although I'm a little unsettled as to why you chose to talk to Cam."

"Look Bones, it's nothing personal alright? Cam and I grew up together. She knew my mom, she knew all the stuff going on in my family. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shut you out. You know I love you right?"

"It's irrational and I shouldn't be feeling like this. You were there for me when I found out about my mother, about Max. I want to be here for you too."

Booth pulled her into his embrace. "You are babe, you already are."

"Tell me how I can make you feel better." Brennan pulled away form him.

"When I figure out how, I'll tell you."

Brennan continued reading the contents of the folder. "It says here that Diane Holland is married to a Philip Holland. He reported her missing two weeks ago. You're going to talk to him?"

"I have to Bones."

"You don't have to take this case."

"You're taking it."

"I could request to work with another FBI Agent."

"I can handle it Bones. Just like any case."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Wanna come with me?"

"I always come with you."

"Yeah, it's just that – "

Brennan pulled him into her embrace. She remembered her disbelief when she realized everything she had known about her parents was a lie. She remembered how hurt she felt. She hated that the man she loved was feeling this way. She felt him bury his face in her neck.

She wasn't sure what words of comfort to offer but she remembered Angela's advice about how important a touch was. She remembered how he always told her how good it felt when she held him. She ran her fingers through his hair, pressing a kiss to his cheek, holding her husband to her, the way she knew he liked it.

_**I know there are still people out there who dislike Cam, but personally I really like her. I mean I hated her initially when she was with Booth but when I re-watch season 2, it wasn't as bad as when I watched it the first time. And I think she's always there for Booth. Her friendship with Booth is under-rated. And she's a great boss. She genuinely cares for him and her team. So I wrote Cam into this chapter, cos I really love and respect her. Plus she's such a BB shipper like us. **_

_**But of course BB are still my faves on the show and my OTP. **_

_**Clickity-click on that review button, reviews keep me happy!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**So I've got some time on my hands so I'm gonna post another chapter real quick. **_

_**To **__**EmmyMayyy**__**, **__**stephaniew**__** , **__**CMW2**__**, **__**corgimom, mendenbar**__** (interesting take on why Cam was written into the show, I never thought of it that way. You're right we know so little about Booth's past, hence me feeling like I needed to write this.) I shan't say more in case I accidentally leak spoilers for next season. Thanks for your reviews, and I'm glad you guys like Cam too. **_

_**Anyway on with the story. **_

Brennan and Booth pulled up to the address. It was a modest two-storey house situated in the suburbs.

Instead of getting out of the SUV right away like he usually did Booth sat quietly, looking at the house they'd pulled up in front of.

"You sure you want to do this?" Brennan asked, leaning over to place a hand on his thigh.

Booth turned to look her in the eye.

"I waited for her for weeks. If Dad caught us waiting… I always figured she was dead. I mean to think she was happily married to some other man. Not that my Dad was husband material but, she had us. She could've taken us with her. Did she think about us? I knew she loved us, I'm which mother doesn't? But to find out she created this whole other life, like we never existed. That's like rubbing it in your face."

"You don't know that. That she never thought of you."

"Looks like I don't know anything."

"Booth."

"I'm sorry. I – "

"I know. Everything you believed to be true is now not. I know how that feels."

"Sorry Bones, if this case brings back memories about your Mom – "

"No. It's ok. I've come to accept what my parents were and what they did. I shouldn't avoid or run from these feelings. You taught me that."

"I did, didn't I?" Booth offered her a slight smile. You would think that what we have is enough huh? I'm acting like some kid craving love and attention from my parents. I'm a grown man with my own kids for cryin' out loud!"

Booth lowered his head, taking her hand in his, his thumb absently drawing circles round her knuckles.

"Sweets would say that a part of you is still that little boy with the abusive father and a mother who walked out on him looking for answers as to why something like that should happen to him."

"For someone who doesn't believe in psychology, I think you're pretty good at it. It's just a case right? I mean just like any other case. I hadn't seen her in thirty years, it's no big deal."

"I could go and you can wait in the car if you like."

"No way Bones. My money's on the husband. Ninety percent of the time it's the husband who did it."

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"No way I'm letting you go in there to talk to some guy who could be the murderer."

"Then we should get going. We've been sitting in the car for some time."

"Yeah, yeah. We should. Get this over with then we can go pick Matt and go home." Booth took a breath, then opened the car door. He walked up to the door, ringing the doorbell. Brennan standing right beside him.

A man answered the door, almost immediately.

"Saw you guys sitting out front. This is about my wife isn't it?"

Booth nodded. He flashed his badge. "FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth, this is my partner Dr Temperance Brennan. We have some information about your wife."

"Come in."

The man introduced himself and Philip Holland, and offered the partners a seat on his couch. Booth's eyes roamed the house. It was neat, filled with pictures of a loving family, evidence of good times Booth couldn't remember too much of when he was a child. Brennan's eyes studied the photographs displayed on the walls. She soon realized what Booth was about to find out, unsure of how he would react. A part of her wanted to reach out to him, warn him, take his hand, anything. She knew they had to remain professional. So she refrained.

"You found my wife?"

"I'm afraid so Mr Holland." Booth pulled out Angela's facial reconstruction. "This her?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry to inform you.. ah we found your wif- "

Booth choked on the word. Taking a breathe he continued. "Your wife was found in a car at the bottom of the Potomac."

"She's dead?" Philip Holland asked in disbelief, grief written all over his face.

"I'm really sorry for you loss." Booth replied in a well-practiced manner. He had done this so many times before but this time it felt harder to convey the bad news.

"You sure it's her you found?"

"Yes. Dr Brennan and her team, they specialize in identifying human remains, otherwise unidentifiable by conventional means. Dental records confirm it's her. Metro police initially thought it was a suicide – "

"Suicide? No way. Diane was happy."

Brennan noticed Booth flinch beside her. She took over the questioning, allowing Booth time to agther his thoughts. "Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt her?"

"Diane was well-loved. She worked at a small music company, helping to produce commercials. Our daughter seemed to have inherited some of her musical talent."

Booth's eyes traveled to the photographs on the wall. She had another child beside himself and Jared?

At the mention of his daughter Philip paused. "I'm sorry I have to tell Susie, she teaches the violin at Juilliard. She would want to know. She's going to be crushed. She was always so close to her mother. We were hoping, maybe Diane was still alive. But I guess deep down, I knew."

Booth took in a breath. He had a half- sister?

"Yes um… we… I was… if you could tell us when was the last time " Booth stopped. Did his mother love him and Jared as much as she did their sister? A memory of himself and Jared at the piano with their mother flashed in his mind.

"I'm terribly sorry… I… I just… I gotta… " Booth gestured outside. He got up and abruptly left, leaving a puzzled Philip Holland with Brennan.

"I'm sorry, he hasn't been feeling well." Brennan wasn't good at lying. But she wasn't exactly lying. She wanted to go to Booth, to comfort him, but she knew she had a job to do.

"What my partner wanted to ask was, when was the last time you saw your wife?"

"It's in the missing person's report I filed with the police."

"Yes but if we could hear it from you, it would provide us with information to help us catch your wife's killer."

"Of course. I saw her two Wednesdays ago. She was on her way to New York to visit our daughter."

"Did she meet with your daughter?"

"Yes, she called to say she had safely arrived. She was due home that weekend. She never came home."

"And your daughter, she can confirm her mother was with her in New York the entire time?"

"Yes, I guess they weren't together the entire three days she was there, Susie still had to work."

"Thank you for your time Mr Holland, and again I'm very sorry for your loss. We'll be contacting you shortly. If you have any other information, you can call us." She handed her name card to Holland. It was usually Booth who handed out cards but given the circumstance, she thought the FBI would understand.

Brennan hurried out the door. Booth was in the driver's seat of the SUV. She climbed in beside him. His eyes were red.

"I'm sorry, I thought I could keep it together in there."

"No it's ok."

"Holland didn't think I was acting weird did he?"

"No I said you were feeling unwell."

"Thanks Bones. What would I do without you?"

"I'd say you were doing fine without me."

"Nah I'm definitely better of with you in my life."

He offered her a smile. "Did you find out anything?"

"Nothing we didn't know from the report. You'll probably need to speak to their daughter Susan Holland."

Booth bit his lower lip. He turned, looking her in the eyes like he always did.

"You know what? You were right. Maybe it would be better if another Agent worked this case with you. I mean I thought I could treat this like any other case but when he started talking about their daughter and how they were happy and I saw the pictures…"

"You wondered why she wasn't happy with you and Jared?"

"Maybe." Booth bowed his head. "Stupid huh"

"No, not stupid." Brennan reached over to take his hand, squeezing it gently. "I'd hug you but Philip Holland could be watching."

"Yeah. I should get you back to the Jeffersonian. I'd head back to the Hoover Building, maybe it'll be ok if Agent Perotta worked with us on this huh?"

"Yes that would be alright by me." Brennan disliked working with other FBI Agents but her history working with Agent Perotta would probably make things easier. She wouldn't need to break a new person into her team.

"Then we could go pick Matt?"

"I'd like that."

"Yeah I really miss that lil' man." Booth smiled at the thought of his son. As he pulled out onto the street, Booth threw smile at his wife. "Thanks."

"What for?"

"For picking up my slack, for being there, for marrying me, for giving me another son. For just being you. Mrs Booth."

When they got married Brennan had been adamant she wouldn't take his name. It didn't bother him at all but he could never resist teasing her. Seeing some semblance of her husband's old self before their current case made Brennan forget about refuting him. She smiled back.

"You're welcome."

Booth focused his eyes back onto the road. The sooner they solved this case, the sooner he could put all this behind him.

_**I'm working on really low sleep again, so let me know how I did this time. And don't be stingy on the reviews!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you for so many story and author alerts. Take the time to drop me a review if you can. **_

_**And special mention to **__**quonoeye**__**, **__**midid**__** (BB get the re-connecting you hoped for in this chapter), **__**mendenbar**__** (I think you're right about Booth and his involvement in the case), **__**Nedra1212 (another chapter up so soon, hop I made you happy!), stephaniew**__** (I agree I think Booth got it worse as a kid than Brennan), **__**CMW2**__** (your question about Booth's sister, we haven't got to that part yet, guess you'll have to read on to find out!), **__**EmmyMayyy**__** (the husband didn't pick up on the name thing but the truth would have to be made know soon), **__**TravelingSue**__** (yes this story has to be a little AU in order to work, hope you like it!), Ger (OTP = one true pairing, thanks for the advice, but sometimes when I get the urge to write it's so overwhelming I gotta get those ideas out. So sleep takes a backseat. And yes we'll get to the Jared part pretty soon). **_

_**Phew, ok. Now on to the story and the parts that made this story have to have an M rating. **_

By nightfall, Booth had gotten approval for Agent Perotta to work the case with them and she had given verbal agreement o take over as the Special Agent in-charge of the case. Brennan was still no closer to find out cause of death and decided they would head home. When she got home to their house in the suburbs, Booth had already gotten Matt home from his grandfather's.

She watched father and son quietly from the doorway. They were sitting on the floor of their son's bedroom, making a little city out of building blocks. It was a rare moment of quiet activity for her son, but the quiet was soon broken by Booth encouraging the toddler to play the role of a hungry monster wrecking havoc through the mega block city they had created.

Brennan smiled noticing that Booth's mood had elevated significantly since she last saw him. The boy looked up and noticed his mother at the doorway.

"Mummy!" He ran to her, allowing her to scoop him up into her embrace.

Brennan kissed him on the cheek, nuzzling his unruly hair. "I missed you."

Before Booth, she would have never imagined this. But when she had finally admitted to herself the real reason why she hadn't sailed off with Sully, Booth and her started dating and she found him changing her everyday. Marriage and a child came soon after and she had never looked back since.

"You didn't give Grandpa a hard time did you?"

The boy shook his head. Unsure if Matt really understood her question, she glanced over to Booth.

"You have no idea how happy Max was when I picked Matt up. Your Dad looked tired."

Brennan laughed. Besides his mother's blue eyes, Matthew Booth seemed to have inherited her IQ, speaking at an early age and displaying traits that were advanced for his age. He had his father's big heart, a loving and happy boy. He also had his father's dark hair and charm smile. The darling of the Jeffersonian lab. As Angela had so aptly put it at Matt's first birthday party, with looks like that, he could probably get away with murder.

"Glad you're home honey." Booth picked himself up from the floor to welcome his wife home with a kiss.

"Kiss me too Daddy!" Booth laughed and took the boy from his mother, planting a quick kiss on his head then turning him upside down, holding him by his ankles, causing the toddler to squeal in delight.

"Booth! He just ate!"

"Dinner was a couple of hours ago."

"Well then it's time you went to bed Matthew."

"Bath and story Mummy!" Matt said as his father righted him again, setting him on his feet.

Brennan recognized Booth's need to be with their son, the boy was the balm for just about every kind of heartache for both parents. She picked the boy up in her arms and kissed him again. It would be an unusual change to their bedtime routine.

"Mummy's busy. Daddy'll get you ready for bed then read you a story tonight ok?"

"Ok."

"Alright then, you heard your Mom. Bath, PJs, story, bed." Booth took Matt from Brennan then swung him round in a circle. To the bathroom!"

Brennan smiled. She would never understand Booth and his persistant desire to expand copious amounts of energy on physical activity with both sons. She chalked it up to men and their testosterone.

An hour later, Booth entered their bedroom. Brennan was dressed for bed in her silk pyjama pants and camisole top. She had her nose in a forensic journal and looked up when she heard Booth come in.

"Matt asleep?"

"Yeah, out like a light, as always."

Brennan smiled, patting the space on the bed that belonged to Booth. Booth obliged, climbing into bed with her. Propping himself up on one elbow, he leaned to give her a passionate kiss, capturing her lower lip in his, sucking gently as he pulled away. She slid a hand to caress the broad planes of his chest.

"Mmm… hold that thought, I'm gonna hit the shower. You'd better be awake when I get back."

Brennan smiled. "I'll wait for you."

Booth retuned, clean and in his opinion smelling better than great. He discarded the bath towel, slipping under the covers naked. Brennan had rolled onto her side and fallen asleep. He concluded that she was tired from their spate of cases and resigned himself to the fact that he would have to go without another day of love making to his beautiful wife.

He tucked her hair gently behind her ear, careful not to wake her. He loved to watching her sleep, she was breathtakingly beautiful in the moonlight. His eyes roamed her body, from the tip of her shoulder, down her spine to the flare of her hips, already feeling himself harden by simply looking at her.

"Are you gonna watch me all night or actually do something?"

"I thought you were asleep?" Booth pressed himself closer to Brennan, and as she rolled onto her back, he buried his face in her column of her neck, kissing her exposed skin.

Brennan could feel his erection, pressing into her thigh. The thought that he was already hard for her before they had started anything excited her. "I said I'd wait for you. I was merely resting my eyes."

"We don't have to do this. You're tired."

"I want to. I want you."

Booth's need for her was overwhelming and he worked quickly to get her ready for him. He didn't need long, after being together for two years, he knew where to touch, kiss and lick to get her worked up for him. Her camisole was pulled off and her pants and panties discarded on the floor. He palmed one breast in one hand, caressing gently while kissing and licking the other, avoiding when he knew she wanted him most.

She groaned a breathy "more," and he moved to take one nipple in his mouth, sucking and licking. She gently bucked her hips, spreading her legs wider, opening herself to him, aching to feel him inside, stretching her. It had been so long and the need for release for the both of them was unbearable. He moved on top of her, positioning himself at her entrance.

They both moaned in pleasure as he slid home. She hitched her legs further up his back, drawing her knees up towards herself, allowing him deeper access. She was tight and hot and wet like she always was and he worked himself quickly towards his orgasm, moving quickly in and out of her.

Every stroke in and out brought her closer to the edge. The thick feeling of him stretching her, completing her, filling her to the hilt. The friction between them delicious and building her climax.

"I'm so close baby." He groaned into her neck.

"Just let go."

Not wanting her to be left behind, he moved a hand between them to where they were joined. He found her clit and brushed a calloused finger over it. She whimpered, her nails clawing at his back, telling him wordlessly she was not far behind. He applied just the right amount of pressure, pressing and circling her sensitive nub, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss.

She stiffened, the moaned into his mouth as she came, clamping down tightly on him, her walls massaging him to his own release. He groaned into her neck as he emptied himself deep inside her.

As she came down from her high, she held him to her as he continued to release his seed inside her. He hadn't come so long and hard in some time. Out of breath, the rolled off, collapsing beside her.

"Thank you." He whispered when he found his breath again.

"You're very welcome." Brennan smiled, moving to lie herself on top of him, resting her chin on her hands that were on his chest. She loved looking into the depths of his brown eyes. She could always see the depth of his love for her there.

No words were exchanged only a deep understanding between soulmates who had just shared an intimate moment.

"I remember the day she left." Booth broke the silence. He was ready to talk now, to the one person he trusted with his life.

"Jared and I, we were watching from behind the door. Mom and Dad, they were having this big fight. Dad slapped her. She said she had enough and started packing her suitcase. Dad yelled at her to leave if she had the guts. I remember the look on her face when she opened the door and saw us standing there. She just brushed past us and walked out the door. Jared cried, trying to follow her but Dad… he came and grabbed us. I think his belt came down harder on us that day."

Brennan used her thumb to swipe a lone tear from Booth's cheek.

"I wish you didn't have to go through all that."

"Yeah well, what happened happened."

Booth looked back at her with sad eyes.

"It hurt so bad. Not the beatings, but you know, my heart. I kept thinking she would come back. Of course she didn't. Two years after Dad left and Pops and Grandma got stuck with us. When we had just moved in with Pops, I used to watch the other kids with their parents, wonder what the hell was wrong with Jared and me…."

Booth's eyes were bloodshot red from his unshed tears and he took a breath to control his emotions.

"I found my Dad's old gun one day. I was twelve. Good thing Pops walked in on me. You wouldn't believe how mad he got. I promised never to do that again."

"I'm glad you didn't" Brennan blinked back tears. "I would be scared and alone if I hadn't met you."

"I'm sorry, I never told you this stuff."

"Talking about things like this is hard."

"I have to tell Jared. And Pops he would probably wanna know too. About mom."

"You could tell Jared tomorrow. And we could go visit Hank over the weekend."

"Yeah it's been awhile since Parker and Matt have seen him."

Booth rolled onto his side, Brennan still in his arms. "I'm tired of thinking. You should get some sleep."

"Mmm.. I must admit I am tired. Wake me if you can't get to sleep?"

"I'll sleep. I'm exhausted."

Brennan nodded. She moved to capture her husband's lips in her mouth, kissing him goodnight. Booth fell asleep with Brennan in his arms, like he always did that night.

_**Hope you all enjoyed the little bit of fluff and a glimpse into BB's married life. One of the happier times but we'll have to move on to exploring more of Booth's troubled childhood in the next chapters. **_

_**I had to make up most of Booth's past, piecing it together with what we learnt so far from the show. This story's already different from the show, cos this is set in season 4 but we don't meet Hank Booth till season 5 but let's just assume. Him and Brennan have to had met cos Hank had to be at their wedding.**_

_**So I'm not sure when I can post again. But I'll try to as soon as I get a chance. Meantime keep those reviews coming. **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hope I didn't keep everyone waiting too long. I'm back with another chapter. And thanks to everyone who added me to story alerts, author alerts, fave stories and author. **_

_**My usual thank you list goes like this: **__**mendenbar (love your PMs and our discussions about David/Booth. Keep those ideas coming), Becksbones (glad you love the fluff), **__**LoVe BB 116**__** (whoa, high praise. I really aim to keep my fics as real and as close to what we get on the show as possible and to read that you think you're watching BB just made be so happy!), midid, CMW2, Ger (glad to read that you guys love Matt Booth and the fluff), **__**stephaniew**__**, **__**jsiebert**__**, **__**lilpinkxx**__** , wazo29 (yup Jared and Pops are gonna make an appearance), **__**EmmyMayyy**__** (well Booth's pretty much a stud so… as to your hope, would you squee if I told you I'm thinking about writing it in but haven't made up my mind yet?)**_

_**A hopefully longer chapter this time. Enjoy!**_

Morning came with it's usually busyness. There was breakfast to be made, showers to be taken, a toddler to get dressed and ready for daycare. Matt had been at the Jeffersonian daycare since he was six months old, Brennan having taken that amount of time of to be with him the first half year of her son's life. He had since been used to his morning routine. She deposited her son at daycare, then joined her husband at the Hoover Building for an early morning meeting.

Brennan together with Cam, Agents Perotta and Booth were in attendance. The purpose of the meeting was to bring the Perotta up to speed on the case. They sat round the table in the FBI conference room, Perotta facing the two doctors while Booth, opting to stand with a steaming mug of coffee in his hand, next to his fellow Agent.

"I appreciate you agreeing to this Agent Perotta." Booth started.

"It's a pleasure to work with the Jeffersonian again." She nodded towards Cam and Brennan.

"Right so like I said yesterday, the victim in the current case is… was my mother, whom I haven't seen in thirty years so I thought it would be good to have another Agent on the case."

"It would provide the objectivity that Booth would probably lack given the nature of this case." Brennan added.

"But you're not asking me to take over are you?" Perotta swiveled her chair to look at Booth.

"I'd really like to still be involved. If it means you want to be the Agent in-charge, that's fine with me."

"Hmm."

"Look I'll owe you one ok?"

"I was going to say yes, I'll take the case, only because Dr Brennan is right. This case probably hits too close to home for you." Perotta replied, turning back to face Cam and Brennan. "So, I read the file last night but you should fill me in on the case."

Cam nodded. "So far besides confirming our vic's identity, we don't have much to go on. Hodgins found algae, indicating time of death to be thirteen days ago. He also got me fingernail scrapings, I'm running the DNA right now, hopefully she might have scratched her attacker."

"We're certain the victim didn't commit suicide. Peri-mortem fracturing on the skull would likely be the cause of death but we need to match it with a murder weapon. The bones show multiple instances of remodeling so we need to be sure. These older fractures indicate the victim – " Brennan stopped. She glanced at Booth. She wasn't sure if he wanted Perotta to know about his past.

He nodded, giving her the ok to continue.

"- the victim had fractures to both radius and ulna, clavicle and mandible. These injuries occurred thirty to thrity-five years ago."

"Your mom was a dare-devil?" Perotta joked.

Booth set the coffee mug down, turning to look his fellow Agent squarely in the eyes. "I'm telling you this in confidence and I know you can keep a secret. It's not that I'm ashamed, but I just like to keep my personal life private."

"Ok."

"My Dad was a drunk. He used to beat up my Mom, it could get real violent. One day, she couldn't take it anymore and left. That was maybe twenty-seven years ago." He turned to address his wife. "I remember her with her arms in a cast one time or another, so yeah those broken bones had to be courtesy of my old man."

"I never knew." Perotta replied softly.

"Well now you do."

"Did he?"

"Yeah he did." Booth lowered his head, staring at his feet. "I don't like to talk about that ok, but yeah he did that to me and my brother too. Just promise me nothing about this goes beyond these walls."

"It'll have to be in my report once this case is closed, the Deputy Director will know."

"Yeah well I'll have to deal with that later."

"Fine, I know how to use my discretion. Your past is safe with me Agent Booth."

"Great now that we're on the same page, we can work on solving this murder."

Brennan offered her husband a smile, indicating he did well. Cam nodded showing her support.

"Do we have any suspects?" Perotta proceeded.

"Philip Holland." Booth managed to keep his voice clam at the mention of his step-father.

"The husband. Motive?"

"I don't know, we never really got to talk to him much yesterday, but statistically – "

"Yes the husband could be a suspect. "Perotta agreed. "You said she left your father?"

"Yes. I know he could've done this. He walked out on me two years after my Mom did. I haven't heard from him since. Odds are he didn't but we're not ruling it out yet. I don't think he would spend thirty years chasing down my Mom, I mean he never showed any signs of wanting her back. Not that I can remember."

"The Hollands' daughter, Susan is flying in from New York today. We'll need to talk to her too." Perotta looked up from the open folder in the table.

"We could arrange for a meeting here with the family."

"Yes I'll set it up. In the meantime, Dr Saroyan, the minute you get a hit on the fingernail scrapings – "

"I'll call you."

Booth cleared his throat.

"And Agent Booth. I can go about tracking down your father, unless you – "

"Its ok. Agent Perotta I'll work on that."

"If you wish." She stood, closing and picking up the folder.

"Oh and the Hollands, they don't know, who I am Agent Perotta. I mean I gotta tell them, just want them to hear it from me."

"Don't worry Agent Booth, like I said, I can keep a secret."

"Thanks."

The four filed out of the conference room. Brennan followed Booth back to his office.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." Booth replied as he plopped himself down on his chair. Brennan rounded his desk.

"You really wanna do this? Track down your Dad?"

"Yeah to rule him out as a suspect."

"Agent Perotta could do that."

"It would be quicker if I did it."

Brennan remembered what Hank had told her. The time had come for her to tell him.

"Hank told me something."

"You called him?"

"Not recently."

"Then what?"

"That one time, we had lunch and you had to get back to work. You asked me to give Hank a ride back to the Nursing Home. He told me something about your father. He said to tell you when the time was right."

Booth threw his hands up in frustration. "Great more curve balls."

"What? I don't understand – "

"It means quit keeping me in suspense and tell me ok?"

"Hank told me, your father didn't walk out on you and Jared like your mother did."

"What? What are you talking about? He did walk out I saw him do it. I was eleven. I remember the day it happened."

"Do you remember what your father did the day he left?"

Booth paused. He frowned. Anger flashed across his face.

"I remember. He came home half-drunk, lost some money playing poker with his pals. I was the first thing in his way so he grabbed me and… let's just say he was taking his frustration out on me."

Brennan crouched down next to her husband so she could be eye level with him. "I'm sorry."

Booth fought back the tears. "You were gonna tell me something about that day?

"Hank saw what your father was doing to you."

"Pops grabbed Dad by the collar, I saw an opening and ran. Made it to my bedroom, slammed the door shut. I knew what was coming. I heard them yelling at each other, things breaking, but I couldn't hear what they said. Didn't want to."

"Your father didn't walk out on you. He had no intention to leave but Hank threw him out. He feared for you and Jared's safety."

"What? No. Pops said – "

"Hank blamed himself."

Booth chuckled bitterly. "So all this time Pops had been telling Jared and me… lies? Makes what Max did seem like child's play."

"He did it to protect you and Jared. Just like my parents did."

"Hank told you?"

"Yes."

"He didn't tell me."

"He didn't know how."

"So you kept this from me for what a year now?"

"He told me to find the right time to tell you. There's never a right time is there?"

"Great! So my Pops and my wife are keeping things form me. Any other deep dark secrets you keeping form me Bones?"

"That's not fair Booth! What was I supposed to do? Hank told me I should wait. I wanted to tell you but I didn't want to hurt you, I thought it would be better if I told you now – "

"Before I found my old man and found out the truth from him." Booth shook his head.

"You know I can't lie you, can't keep things form you baby!"

"Yeah you did a pretty good job so far."

Booth stood up, backing away from Brennan. Did she have to call him baby? That was usually reserved for the bedroom. _Was she that guilty?_ In the back of his mind he understood their attempts at protecting him but the fact that she had kept something like that from him for so long made him burn with anger.

"I gotta go." Booth was halfway out the door, not giving her a chance to get to her feet and follow him.

"Booth wait."

He spun round, his face betraying his hurt and anger.

"Don't you have work to do? Cause of death? Murder weapon?"

He didn't wait for her to reply, hurrying out the door, heading for the elevators.

"Booth!"

The commotion made a few heads turn but the junior Agents sitting in the bullpens knew better than to pry. Both Dr Brennan and Agent Booth had a reputation for being fierce, dedicated to their work and fiercely protective of their personal lives.

Brennan shook her head, watching her husband leave. She remembered Hank's advice to hold Booth if he needed. It seemed like it was her who needed the holding now.

_**I'm glad you all like the fluff and I'll try to throw it in but the nature of this story, its mostly gloomier and angsty at some points. But I love fluff as much as all of you. So there'll be more fluffy moments coming, might not be soon but be sure they're coming. **_

_**And happy to know you guys love Matthew Booth too. Lots of fics have BB with a daughter, but personally I always thought a little adorable boy just as charming as Booth and part Brennan would be so cute. Not to say Booth with a little girl isn't cute, heck Booth with any kids of his own is cute!**_

_**You would also notice I mixed up the timeline a little, based on the assumption, Brennan and Hank met before and that would mean the past that Hank told her about Booth's Dad in Foot in the Foreclosure would have to have taken place already.**_

_**Hope this update made you all happy. Lots of work and lack of sleep went into it. Let me know what you think. Thank me by writing me a review.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Happy 4**__**th**__** of July! To all of you reading who celebrate it. **_

_**My list of thanks so much to: **__**mendenbar**__** (loving our the stuff we're discussing on our PMs, and glad you could post a review! I didn't hate Perotta at all), **__**stephaniew**__**, RowdyRomantic, Ger (you got what you hoped for at the end of the chapter), **__**quonoeye**__**, **__**Evanjalin64**__** (agree with you about what you're hoping for in season 6, I hope so too!), EmmyMayy (I'm still considering it, but my mind's made up like eighty percent already!), **__**Hikari-Kayko**__** (yup I heard those spoilers too and hope they're true), **__**Becksbones**__** (yes Parker's gonna make an appearance in this story, just wait and see!) **_

"Shrimp, what are you doing here?" Hank Booth looked up from the arm chair he was sitting on in his room in the nursing home. "I wasn't expecting you to visit."

The elderly man sitting in the chair opposite Hank stood up.

"Hi Seeley."

"Hi Mr McConnor." Booth replied, his tone managing to mask his barely restrained anger.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your game of dominos but, we need to talk Pops." Booth stared at his grandfather.

"Guess we'll continue this later huh, Hank?"

"Thank you George."

Booth waited for his grandfather's friend to leave the room, then shut the door. He started to pace the floor, refusing to look his grandfather in the eyes. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Sound serious."

Booth spun round, "Yeah it is. I know ok? About Mom and Dad, I know."

"Now hold on a sec Shrimp – "

Booth held up his index finger, indicating he didn't want to be interrupted.

"Mom's dead, like you said. Only she died two weeks ago according to the squints, not some twenty-seven years ago. And Dad? Bones told me."

Hank looked grim. The day had come when one of his boys fond out the truth. He looked at Booth who continued pacing the floor.

"I had to. You boys kept waiting for her to come back. Your father was so mad. I was afraid he'd do something to the both of you. I should've done something, listened when your mother tried to tell me what was going on."

"Yeah well, you would've thought the bruises meant something huh?"

"You father never liked me to come round. I just couldn't believe that the son I raised…. then I saw him beating you. You were a little boy and he was… I just snapped. I grabbed him by the shirt collar and told him to get out! No son of mine does that. You were just a little boy."

Booth couldn't hold back the tears now as the memories of that day came flooding back with a vengeance.

"What hurts the most is that you couldn't tell us the truth. You had to lie."

"I did it to protect the both of you."

"We would've handled the truth just fine!"

"If I didn't tell you your mother was dead, you'd be waiting for her, and your father would have gotten angrier. I couldn't tell you boys I chased your father away! Your mother left you, he wasn't the best father but he was your father. You both needed him. I keep thinking to myself if I hadn't thrown him out that day… maybe if I stayed to help him work things out, you boys wouldn't have lost both your parents."

Booth wiped the tears with the back of his hands. He noticed the tears in the old man's eyes and suddenly felt guilty again. His tone softened, and he felt his anger abate.

"Look I love you Pops. I know that you and Grandma did the best you could. I just wish you guys didn't lie to us."

Booth sank down onto the empty chair opposite Hank. He felt drained. It had been an emotional two days. And he hadn't even begun his search for this long-lost father yet. He shook his head slightly, unsure if he could take anymore of this before he cracked.

"I'm sorry. I thought it was for the best."

"I'm just… forget it, it wasn't your fault. If it wasn't for you… I would've…"

"I'll never forget the day I saw you with that gun to your head." Hank said, knowing what his grandson was thinking about.

"That was stupid alright? I was a stupid kid."

"No you were not. You were a great kid. I couldn't have asked for you to turn out any better. I've always said you got a good heart. Just follow it."

Booth wasn't entirely convinced. In just two days he had managed to blow his top at the two people who loved him the most. Guilt wasn't a good companion and he sunk lower into his chair.

"Does Jared know?"

"I haven't told him."

"What happened? To your mother?"

"We don't know yet."

"She was murdered?"

"Yeah that's why I'm on the case."

"Your father?"

"I haven't found him, but… I'll have to."

Booth glanced at his watch. He was going to be late for the meeting with the Hollands. It was a long drive back to the Hoover Building.

"I gotta go, I'm still working the case. Bones, she's probably worried sick about me."

"You hold on to that wife of yours."

Booth nodded. He was reminded again of how he walked out on her.

"If you find your father, you tell him I'm sorry."

"I really gotta go. I'm late for a meeting."

Before he got out the door Hank called out to him, "Shrimp."

Booth turned.

"You're not like him you know. You're nothing like him."

How did his grandfather know his greatest fear? Booth quickly turned not wanting the old man to see the tears fall afresh again.

Brennan was upset and worried about Booth. But the Hollands were at the Hoover Building for the meeting. They would have to carry on without were at the same conference room that they had been at that morning, this time minus Booth and Cam.

"Agent Booth couldn't join us but let's begin." Agent Perotta introduced herself. "I'm Special Agent Peyton Perotta; I'll be the Agent in-charge of your wife's case from now on. We'll still have the help of the Jeffersonian."

"Susan Holland."

The young lady bore a striking resemblance to her mother, and her features reminded Brennan of her brother-in-law, Jared.

"Any progress on the case?" Philip Holland asked as they sat down.

"Is there anything new you can think of that you failed to inform the police?" Perotta threw a question back.

"No." Philip Holland replied. "I told them everything."

"And your marriage? It was good? There were no secrets between you and your wife?"

"We had our fair share of arguments. Which married couple doesn't? But we loved each other. And if Diane was keeping secrets, well then she must have done a very good job of it. Are you suggesting she was having an affair?"

"For as long as I could remember Mom and Dad were very loving. I thought now that the FBI is involved, we would have gotten something, some clue as to who did this?" Susan seemed annoyed at Perotta's suggestion of her mother's marital infidelity.

"We'd like to hear your side of the story Miss Holland." Perotta replied.

"Sure. Anything to find out who did this to her."

"Like Dad told you, Mom came to visit me in New York. I had to keep working so Mom spent the days on her own. She said she went shopping, to Broadway, I was with her nights. She stayed with me at my apartment."

"And your mother, did she seem any different? Confide in you about anything?"

"I don't think… wait, now that you mention, there was the last day she was there. She seemed agitated, a little off. When I asked her about it, she said she was sad to be leaving me and reminded me to come home more often if I could."

"Susie and her mother were very close." Philip explained, taking his daughter's hand in his.

Brennan winced mentally, suddenly glad Booth wasn't there to hear it again.

"Does the name Larry Colvin mean anything to you?"

"He's my boyfriend, why?"

"The DNA found under your mother's nails matched his." Brennan replied.

"No, Larry's a good man. We're in love, he wouldn't."

"Did your parents get along with Larry?" Perotta asked.

"I brought him home last Christmas, they got along fine."

"Yes he's a nice young man." Philip confirmed his daughter's story.

"You know where we could find your boyfriend, Miss Holland?"

"He came to DC with me, he should be home. Surely you don't think."

"We're just gonna talk to him, like we're talking to you now."

Agent Perotta wrapped up their meeting. The four exited the conference room.

"If there's anything new we'll let you know. In the meantime…."

The elevator doors opened and Booth hurried out. He glanced at Brennan then offered an apology to his fellow Agent.

"I'm really sorry I'm late I – " Booth stopped mid-sentence, staring at his half-sister. She looked so much like his mother.

"This is Agent Booth. He's assisting on the case. This is Susan Holland."

Booth took Susan Holland's hand, shaking it.

"I was stuck in traffic." Booth explained distractedly.

"We're just about done here. Again, thank you for your time Mr Holland. We would be talking to you soon."

Agent Perotta waited for the elevator doors to shut. She turned to face Booth.

"I screwed up, I know."

"Look I respect you as a senior Agent but this is your one free pass."

Brennan watched the exchange silently. Booth nodded.

"DNA under the victim's nails belongs to Susan Holland's boyfriend. They're probably headed home right now and since he's there at the moment, I think we should talk to him before he gets spooked and takes off. Interested in coming?"

"Yeah, yeah. Listen I know we're short on time but I just need a minute with Bones."

"I'll bring the car round. You have five minutes."

Booth thanked Perotta. Brennan hated seeing her husband like this. He was excellent at his job but this case had thrown him off and he was struggling. She allowed him to take her hand and lead her to his office, closing the door.

"I'm sorry baby."

"Where did you go?"

"I'll explain later, I'm just, I hate being this way, losing my temper at you all the time. You don't' deserve this."

"I certainly don't."

"I'm sorry. I'm not doing very well, maybe I need to talk to Sweets, but I'd rather talk to you."

Brennan took him into her arms, holding him to her. Ever so briefly before they broke their embrace. She knew how Booth hated to be perceived as weak, not in the office, not where he was one of the FBI's best Agents. She also knew he didn't like his colleagues looking in on them, seeing them in an intimate embrace. The fact that he had stormed out of his office angrily leaving her behind that morning had already drew countless, almost discreet stares and undoubtedly the junior agents would have liked to see what became of the morning's events. She also knew despite the fact that they were married but Booth disliked overt shows of affection, especially at his workplace. She held him at arm's length, one of his hands still in hers.

"Look Perotta's waitng, she's right we need to get this guy before he takes off. But we'll talk, later?"

Brennan offered a slight smile. "I'll be in my office."

_**Had to end off straightening things out between BB some what. Stay tuned for more. **_

_**This story's no where near finished so keep reviewing and stick around to read more about BB, well mainly Booth since this story's about him. **_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hey everyone, thanks for waiting. RL's been so busy, but guess I caught a break, home with the flu I'm posting this chapter in bed. **_

_**Thank you to all of you who added me to story alerts, fave story and/or author. **_

_**Special thanks to **__**quonoeye**__** (your question would be answered in the chapters coming up), **__**EmmyMayyy**__** (I think it's 80% good for now), **__**Pacicos**__** (glad you found this fic and you're enjoying it), **__**stephaniew**__**, **__**CMW2**__** (I didn't dislike Perotta all that much), **__**BoothanddBrennan**__**, **__**uscrocks**__**, Ger (I've always thought Perotta was someone always doing things by the books so she was serious about the case, but gald to hear you're all protective over Booth!), **__**dovepage**__** (like I said, answers in the coming chapters) and last but not least **__**mendenbar**__** (thanks for you PMs).**_

_**So here we go, BB making up some more… read on!**_

Booth made it home just before ten that night, a bouquet of daffodils in hand. He had texted Brennan that he would be held up at work and had asked her not to wait for him but rather to pick Matt from daycare and head home.

When he got in the front door, he was surprised to find his father-in-law sitting in his living room.

"Max? Where's Bones? Matt ok?"

"Tempe was feeling tired so she asked if I could come over, help with Matt."

"She ok?

"She's been working too hard, it's not like you didn't know."

"Right."

Max eyed the flowers in Booth's hand.

"You guys had a fight?"

"Not really." Booth couldn't look Max in the eyes, opting to study his shoes instead.

"I know about the case you're working. It must be very hard on you."

"I guess."

"I understand Booth, if you're hurting. But if you hurt Tempe, I'll break your neck."

"I get it alright?"

Max got up from the couch. "Well now that we've got that out of the way, I'll be making my way home."

Max patted his son-in-law on the shoulder. "Matthew's asleep and Tempe's been in your bedroom since after dinner."

"Thanks Max,"

Booth shrugged off his jacket and loosened his tie. He made his way to the kitchen, wanting a drink before he checked on Matt and went to Brennan. He got himself a cold beer from the refrigerator, tilting his head back to take a long swig form the bottle, letting the cold fluid slide down his throat.

"You're home."

Booth almost choked on his beer. He coughed.

"Bones! Max said you were tired, I thought you'd be asleep."

"I napped."

"You ok?"

"Other than feeling a little fatigued I'm fine."

"So tired you needed to ask your Dad over to help with Matt?" Booth walked up to Brennan. "That's more than a little fatigued."

"I'm fine Booth." He suddenly remembered the flowers. He hurriedly picked them up and handed them to her.

"I'm sorry."

Brennan accepted the flowers. "Apology accepted."

"I shouldn't lose my temper like that."

"You're going through something extremely difficult."

"That isn't an excuse."

"I want to help you through this." She took a step closer to him.

"You are Bones, believe me you are."

"Did you find Susan Holland's boyfriend?"

"Yeah he didn't want to talk at first but after a couple of hours, he admitted to cheating on Susan."

"But he didn't kill Diane Holland?"

"He says he didn't. Said Diane found out about him cheating on her daughter. They had an argument the last day she was in New York. He raised his voice, swung his arms, she freaked grabbed him, he tried to get away."

"That explains the skin under the fingernails."

"Yeah that's his story."

"You don't believe him?"

"He seemed to be telling the truth."

"So we're out of leads?"

"I'm not sure yet. You find cause of death?"

"Yes, the peri-mortem skull fracture was likely to be caused by a blow to the head by a blunt object. Wendell is trying to match it to a weapon. The boyfriend isn't under arrest?"

"Unless we find something tying him to the murder? He goes free."

"Back to the Hollands?"

"I'm not sure. He'll have to come clean to Susan now."

"My Dad went home?" Brennan asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah he left a little while ago."

Brennan took the cold beer bottle from his hand, placing it on the island in the kitchen, She placed her palm on his cheek, silently conveying her love to him through her eyes. She moved to wrap her arms round his neck, pulling him to her. He rested his head on her chest as her fingers raked his hair, smoothed his neck and back. Booth felt the tension of the day begin to ebb away. He lifted his head to kiss her. They shared a slow, passionate kiss, enjoying the feel of each others' tongues before he pulled away.

"You need to get some sleep. You've been working four, no make that five days straight now."

"So have you."

"Yeah I'm gonna hit the shower then come to bed ok?"

"I've got a better idea." She smiled that sultry smile that was reserved for him alone.

She pulled him to her again, capturing his lips in a searing kiss, sucking on his lower lip, then moving to kiss the spot just behind his ear that she knew drove him crazy. She backed him out of the kitchen, almost hitting an ancient vase. Booth worried they might have woken their son, but they were soon in the living room, and the back of his knees hit the couch. She pushed him down and he flopped back onto the soft cushions.

She lowered herself onto his lap, straddling him. Her hands moved to unbutton the buttons on his shirt, running her hands along the planes of his sculpted chest. She moved to kiss him again. They shared another long, passionate kiss. Her hand snaked down his chest to the buckle of his pants.

He broke the kiss, grabbing her hand. "Bones. baby, stop."

"What? Why?"

"You're tired, I'm tired. I'm emotionally exhausted. I don't think I can… " Booth nodded downwards. "… I'm not sure I can perform."

Brennan smiled, not stopping in her quest to remove his cocky belt buckle. "You never had any problems before. Getting old are we?"

"Ha! Ah no. It's just that, its not everyday I find out my mother whom I thought dead was actually alive, then murdered and my father whom I thought walked out on me, was in fact thrown out by the man who raised me – Bones!"

He had been so caught up worrying about how he was going to please her and explaining his thought process that he hadn't realized she had removed his belt buckle, unzipped his fly and was kneeling in front of him.

"Lift."

"Bones, you don't have to do this."

"I want to. You know I enjoy this as much as you do. Let me love you." Her eyes burned with desire.

"Ok." Barely a whisper.

"Lift." _Damn she was hot!_ He lifted his hips off the couch, allowing her to free his still soft penis from the confines of his pants and boxers. She took him in her warm hand and stroked experimentally, massaging the tip. She felt him harden in her hand and smiled.

"There we go."

She looked up at her husband who was looking back at her with an intensity that told her he wanted it, badly. She licked him from base to tip and he hardened some more. She pumped him with her hands, till he was fully rigid, then took him into her mouth.

He let out a groan.

She sucked and blew and swirled with her tongue, and he bucked his hips off the couch, thrusting into her mouth. Her free hand smoothed the inside of his thigh. IT didn't take long before his hand tunneled through her hair, letting her know he was close. He hadn't thought he would, let alone reach climax so fast but he felt it coming and there was no stopping it.

Throwing his head back, Booth groaned out a "Love you," before he spilled into her mouth. She sucked him dry, smiling as she released him.

"And you said you couldn't achieve orgasm."

"What can I say? My wife is good."

Brennan smiled. She stood as Booth pulled up his pants. He reached to touch her knees. "They must hurt."

"Not really. I wasn't kneeling for all that long."

She climbed onto the couch, lying down and resting her head in his lap. He stroked her hair, tucking stray strands behind her ear. They locked eyes.

"Thank you baby."

"You're welcome. You know I love you too right?"

"Yeah of course I do."

They were quiet for a moment.

"Where were you?" She broke the silence.

Booth sighed. "I talked to Pops."

Brennan frowned.

"I think I said some pretty stupid stuff."

"Are you still mad at him?"

"I don't know. Maybe. A little. But he did what he thought was best."

"At the time. Just like when my parents left me and Russ."

"I just wish he could've told us when we got older. I would've handled the truth just fine."

"He didn't know that."

"Is he mad at you?"

"I think he feels like it's all his fault, like he could've stopped it somehow. But he couldn't you know? I don't blame him."

"Does he know that?"

Booth shook his head. "I left in a hurry. I was going to be late for the meeting."

"You should talk to him again."

"Yeah maybe we could bring the kids to visit huh?"

"Yes he'd like that."

There was another moment of silence. "Your half-sister looks like your mother."

"I noticed."

"You think she knows? Or Philip Holland?"

Booth shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'd have to tell them some day, or they'd figure it out. Either way, they'll find out."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry again? I thought I should be the one apologizing for being a jerk."

"I'm sorry you have to go through this. To find out like this."

"Yeah well I've had it good for awhile now. Parker, you, Matt. So I guess it's time life threw me some lemons huh?"

"I don't understand what that means."

"It means, I'm just lucky to have you." Booth lowered his head to kiss her, tasting himself on her lips. She got up, taking his hand in hers. "Let's go to bed."

They peeled off their clothes, falling asleep skin to skin with his arms round her, her back pressed into his chest. Brennan woke to the feel of her husband's fingers between her legs caressing her folds, teasing her clit.

"Mmmm…. What time is it?"

"An hour before Matt wakes."

"What are you doing?"

"Returning the favor."

"I thought I was having a really nice dream."

"Nope, this is reality baby. My turn to show you how much I love you."

He pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. Hs fingers parted her and he dipped a finger inside, delighted to feel her warm and wet. She could feel his arousal pressed to her butt. He slipped two fingers inside, pumping slowly, his thumb circling her clit. She moaned, rocking back into him. He pumped in and out of her working her up towards her climax, before removing his fingers and replacing them with his cock. His thumb still circling her clit. She moaned his name as he continued to thrust in and out of her, the depth of penetration too shallow to allow himself enough pleasure to achieve climax. He felt the beginnings of her orgasm and he intensified the movements of his thumb. He lifted his head, watching her face contort in pleasure.

"You're so beautiful."

She shattered around him. He held her to him as she came with his name on her lips. He waited for her to come down from her high, before he flipped her onto her back. Climbing on top of her his eyes sought her permission.

"Yes." She whispered.

He stroked deep into her, biting her shoulder to muffle his moan of pleasure. She hooked her legs round his waist as he upped the pace, in and out, filling and stretching her to the hilt. It wasn't long before he exploded inside her, collapsing onto her, spent.

"I love you Bones."

"I know. I love you too Booth." She replied before sleep claimed her again.

Brennan arrived at work that day just before noon. Angela hurriedly followed her into her office.

"Hey everything ok?"

"Yes."

"Cause Booth called to say you were going to be late and I just thought – oh my – you're not pregnant again are you?"

"What? No. I'm merely tired from the cases we've been working."

"Really? Cos Booth's being all over protective again and you look exhausted."

"Really Angela. I wouldn't withhold information like that from you, you know that."

"Well yes you do have a point." Angela agreed remembering the time when her best friend had found out she was pregnant with Matt. She had been the second person Brennan had informed of the news after Max.

"I'm worried about Booth." Brennan confessed.

"We all are sweetie. How's he taking things?"

"He's been more short-tempered. He's losing his temper at everyone."

"Yeah this is a big deal, so I'd cut him some slack."

"I know. He feels bad about how he's been behaving. I woke this morning with a note from him telling me to sleep in, that he called Cam to tell her I'd be late and that he took Matt to daycare. I guess it's his way of making up to me. I just wish I could do more to take away his pain."

"I'm sure he knows sweetie but this is something he has to deal with on his own. You can empathize with him but you can't be him. It's like when you were in labor with Matt and you were screaming your head off at him, much as he wanted to he couldn't give birth to Matt for you."

Brennan smiled. "That's a very good analogy Angela. You're fantastic." She pulled her best friend to her for a hug.

Angela smiled. "Just tell him you're there for him. Let him know you're going through this with him."

"I haven't heard from him since this morning. He didn't reply my texts."

"Maybe he needs some space. He'll come to you when he wants to, and I'm betting he'll show up soon to drag you to lunch."

Brennan nodded, still unable to settle the feeling of anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

_**Had to throw in more fluff, hope you all enjoyed! Review, review, review! I love reviews so you know what to do!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Again, thank you all for waiting for this chapter. **_

_**EmmyMayyy**__**, **__**Nedra1212**__**, **__**BoothanddBrennan**__** (agree BB married is the way to go, I hope HH sees that), **__**quonoeye**__**, **__**CMW2**__**, Ger (I get the feeling you may be right on that hunch of yours) and **__**mendenbar**__** (yup Booth is gonna talk to Pops again, and the stuff about his mother would be revealed more in the next chapter) thank you all for your faithful reviews. I always look forward to reading them.**_

"You wanted to talk to me Seeley?"

Jared Booth slid into the chair opposite his brother at the diner.

"Yeah." Booth placed the coffee cup he was holding back on the table. He fished the photograph of their mother from his jacket pocket and placed it on the table, sliding it towards Jared.

"This woman's supposed to mean something to me?"

"Take a closer look Jared."

"I am looking closer." Jared squinted at the photograph.

"Doesn't she look familiar?"

Jared paused. "Wait, maybe… no way, no freakin' way." Jared looked up from staring at the photograph. "Is this?"

"Mom? Yeah."

"What you found her?"

"More like she found me. She's the victim in the case Bones and I are workin' on now."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Talk about coincidence."

"That's it? That's all you have to say? Coincidence?"

"What did you expect me to say Seeley? Cry over the fact that she's dead?"

"No, I thought, you'd show more interest."

"Ok well how'd she die?"

"I can't discuss an ongoing investigation with you, you know that."

"You said I should show more interest."

"Like don't you wanna know what she's been doing all these years?"

"Should I care?"

"Maybe you should."

"She didn't care about us. She's dead to me, has been for years."

"I know. We thought she had died, but she hadn't. Turns out she found some other guy, got married, had a daughter."

Jared laughed a bitter laugh. "See, dead to me. She left us! Left us with him!"

The other patrons of the dinner turned to look at the commotion.

"Let's talk outside." Booth said, rising from his seat and throwing a couple of collar bills on the table.

The Booth brothers moved outside the diner. Booth spun round, shoving his hands in his pockets, clenching them into fists, swallowing his anger.

"We both hated him I know. But these were our parents. If it weren't for them, we won't be standing here. Look if the vic turned out to be Dad, maybe I wouldn't care so much but it was Mom. She got it just as bad from Dad as us."

"Yeah till she decided to leave us." Jared scoffed. He threw his hands up in the air. "What do you expect me to say?"

"I'm going to talk to the guy she married this afternoon. Tell him the truth about who I am. I was hoping you'd come."

"What?"

"Come on Jared, he seems like a nice man. And their daughter, she's our half-sister."

"What her old man beat her up too?"

"Jared."

"No Seeley. You wanna go play house, be friends with these people, that's your business. Don't drag me into it."

"I didn't say I was gonna be friends with them. I don't even think I'll see them again after this case is closed. They're grieving over her loss. I thought they'd like to know. They have a right to know."

"Know what? What about her two sons she abandoned?"

"Look maybe she didn't have a choice?"

"She started another family, she totally forgot about us."

"We don't know that till we talk to them."

"Just leave me out of this." Jared turned to leave, walking towards his car. Booth grabbed his brother's arm, pulling him back.

Jared turned, his fist connecting with Booth's eye. Booth was caught by surprise and staggered back.

"Sonnova'"

"Bitch? That's right. That's what she was."

Angered Booth swung a fist back at Jared, punching him squarely on the jaw. Jared stumbled backwards, momentarily stunned. At the look on Jared's face, Booth felt his anger subside, replaced now by guilt.

Jared took the opportunity to retaliate. He threw another punch with his right fist, the ring on his finger opening a gash in his older brother's cheek. Before Jared could throw another punch, Booth had swung at him, his fist crashing into Jared's nose.

Jared held up his arms blocking another punch from Booth. He pushed his brother off him, his hands cupping his bleeding nose, doubling over in pain. Seeing the state his younger brother was in, bleeding profusely from his nose, Booth held back. This gave Jared the opportunity to swing at Booth, but he ducked the blow.

"Look I don't wanna fight you!" Booth spat.

"You broke my nose!

"You started it!"

They were drawing a crowd.

"Look let's call a truce ok? Just forget about it."

"Fine! Just don't come asking me to go meet with these people or whatever. Just leave me alone Seeley!"

Booth watched Jared leave, moving his fingers to press against the gash on his cheek, trying to stem the flow of blood. He sighed.

Half an hour later, with the bruise that had formed just below his eye safely hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, Booth strode swiftly and quietly into Brennan's office. She recognized her husband's footsteps without having to look up from her work.

"Booth?"

"I'm sorry I didn't return your texts."

"Its ok you were busy – " Brennan looked up from her computer. She spotted the gash on his cheek immediately.

"What happened?"

"Jared." Booth removed his sunglasses to reveal his bruise.

Brennan stood up moving quickly to her husband's side. She placed both hands on his face checking his injuries.

"Jared did this to you?"

"Yeah. I think I broke his nose."

"You told him?"

"He didn't take it too well."

"You might need stitches on this." Brennan said, studying the gash on his cheek.

"It stopped bleeding."

Brennan's eyes followed the blood drops down his white shirt. "He shouldn't have hit you so hard."

"We're brothers. Isn't the first time we beat each other up."

Brennan backed him into the couch, directing him to sit. "Wait here."

She fished a couple of antiseptic wipes she reserved for Matt's dirty fingers from her drawer. She gently dabbed at the wound on Booth's cheeks. She noticed him wince.

"I'm worried about you." She said, cleaning his wound as gently as possible.

"I'm sorry. I'm messing up."

"No you're not. I hate seeing you like this."

"It's just something I gotta do. Once this case is over, once we find her killer, I can put this part of me to rest. I just… I feel like there're so many questions that need to be answered."

"I know how you feel."

"Yeah you've been through this with your Dad."

"We'll figure this out Booth, we always do."

"Yeah, we will." Booth offered her a crooked smile.

She lowered her hand form his face, leaning in to examine the gash again.

"I'm fine Bones."

"On the outside."

"I'll be ok on the inside too."

"I'm not used to seeing you like this. You've always been there for me, always said the right things at the right time."

Booth took her hand, holding up the bloodied tissue in her hand.

"This is doing something right for me at the right time."

They shared a smile.

"I've got a couple of leads on where my Dad is, but I'm not sure if I should follow them. Doesn't look like he did it, you know kill her." Booth said quietly. "I'm not sure if I wanna see him again."

"I know. Whatever you decide, I'll be here for you."

"I know. Thanks Bones."

"Did Wendell find the murder weapon?"

Brennan shook her head. "We know for sure it was a blunt metal object, whatever particulates have been washed away by the river."

"We don't have anymore suspects either."

"So that's it?"

"No I'm gonna keep looking, but if we don't get anything new soon, Hacker's gonna make us shelve this case. I've just got a call, we've got another case."

"So we're leaving this case to Perotta?"

"She'll probably get a little more time to look over the evidence, but there's been a dismembered body. State police are requesting for us."

Brennan sighed. What was the saying? No rest for the weary? She couldn't remember. It was upsetting to know that the new case would likely take away her already little time with Matt, and she hated that they couldn't solve the murder of Booth's mother.

"Hey, it'll be ok. We still can work on my Mom's case, just not the priority right now."

"I wish we had more time. I'd speak to Andrew if you want, maybe – "

"Hey the last thing I need is my boss thinking I need my wife to speak for me."

"I wasn't trying to make it seem like you can't speak for yourself."

"Look, forget it alright Bones? I'm gonna go to the Hollands, tell them we've kinda hit a dead end."

"Is Agent Perotta coming along?"

"No. Told her I need to do this alone."

"Oh."

"Alone means my wife can come along, if she wants to?"

Booth sucked in a breath. He needed her more than she would know, and yet he was being snappy at her.

Brennan stood up, smiling at him. "Only if you promise to put some ice on that bruise while I drive us there."

_**Another chapter that I intended to be short but seemed to have a life of its own. It wouldn't stop writing itself. I didn't mean to make Jared a jerk I really like the guy, but I always thought he was the more hot-headed of the two Booth brothers. **_

_**Hey don't forget, drop me a review on your way out! It's late and I'm needing my sleep again...**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**quonoeye**__**, **__**uscrocks**__**, **__**Mysti D.**__**, **__**LoVe BB 116**__**, Ger (I didn't it to mean for the chapter to come off as Booth was eager to stop working on his mother's case, more like he was being made to by his boss), **__**mendenbar**__** (agreed Booth is a hot-head too, and yeah Brenden Fehr and David don't look alike, I guess they were going for similarities in terms of hotness? But David wins hands down), **__**midid**__** (BB lovin' is always my fave too, and there'll be more glimpses into their married life in the coming chapters), **__**eire76**__**, **__**quigely**__**. Thank you for your kind words and keep those reviews coming. **_

_**And everyone else who simply read and is reading my story and everyone who added me to favorites, thank you too!**_

Brennan pulled up at the house Diane Holland had lived in with her husband and daughter. She looked over to Booth who was slouching in the passenger side, as if afraid people would see him being driven in a car by a woman, holding an ice pack to his injured eye.

"You ok?"

"Yeah doesn't hurt that much anymore." Booth lifted the ice pack, turning to look at her. "But I'm getting brain freeze."

Brennan knew him well enough to know that he was attempting to use humor to mask the pain he was feeling.

"I meant are you ok emotionally?"

Booth sighed, tossing the ice pack into the back of the SUV. "I'm not sure I wanna do this, but I know I have to."

Brennan reached for her husband's hand and squeezed. Booth lowered his head, staring at their clasped hands, then turned to stare at the house.

"We'd better go, Philip Holland's gonna be wondering why the hell we always take so much time gettin' out of the car."

He pulled his hand out of hers and opened the passenger side door. He didn't need to turn to know that Brennan was doing the same. He straightened his tie and took a deep breath, all professional. It was a well-rehearsed transition, from personal to professional. It was something they practiced to near perfection since the day the partners became something more to each other. Afterall they had so much to prove.

Booth rang the doorbell, only to be greeted by Susan Holland.

"Agent Booth, Dr Brennan."

"Can we come in?"

Susan nodded, opening the door wider and stepping back to allow the partners in.

"Dad! The FBI are here."

Philip Holland appeared. "You have news about my wife's killer?"

"We have news, yes." Booth nodded.

Philip led them to the same living room, sitting on the couch, Susan sitting down beside her father. Brennan took the armchair, with Booth opting to stand.

""Agent Perotta isn't here?"

"Yeah what we wanna tell you doesn't need two FBI Agents."

Philip nodded his understanding.

"Mr Holland, I'm afraid we've hit a dead end on your wife's case." Booth began.

"Meaning you still don't know who killed my mother?"

"I'm sorry."

"What about Larry? He told me he didn't do it. I believe him."

"Until we can find physical evidence tying your boyfriend to the murder, we have to assume he's innocent."

"Ex-boyfriend."

"I'm sorry." Booth apologized again.

"We believe he's not the killer." Brennan added.

""What now?" Philip asked.

"Can you think of anyone else?"

Philip Holland shook his head, looking at his daughter. "No."

"We have orders to put your wife's case on the back burner. " Booth addressed Philip. "We have a new case that we have to work on but I assure you Agent Perotta would continue to work your wife's case."

"As will we." Brennan added.

"Yeah." Booth nodded. "When we have time from our new case, you can be sure that we aren't gonna stop till we find out who killed your wife."

"Thank you."

"No, no thank you. Don't thank them! The person who did this to Mom is still out there!" Susan stood up.

Her father tugged on her hand, urging her to sit.

"I know." Booth replied, taking a step towards his sister. The words were on the tip of his tongue as his mind screamed _I know the person who did this to Mom is still out there! _

He clenched his fist sitting down on the empty armchair beside the one Brennan was sitting on. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, steeling himself for what was to come, what he had to do.

"What I'm gonna tell you… " Booth looked up, making direct eye contact with Philip. "…it's strictly off the record. What I wanted to say is…. You know my name is Seeley Booth."

He nodded towards Brennan. "Dr Brennan is my partner but she's also my wife…. my mother… she um… she walked out on me, my brother and my Dad when I was nine."

Susan Holland's face wore a look of confusion at the revealing of personal details from the FBI Agent.

Booth's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Diane… your wife… she was my – " Booth choked on the word.

"Mother." Philip completed the sentence for him.

Susan's face registered shock.

"How did you know?" Booth asked, his voice barely loud enough to be audible.

"The first time you turned up at my door, I should've made the connection. I was so grief stricken, I always knew in the back of my mind she was gone but the day you came, you made everything I feared become fact. The second meeting at the Hoover Building, I already had my suspicions but I couldn't be sure."

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Not a day passed when she didn't miss you and your brother."

Booth closed his eyes. He fought the tears that threatened to fall. Regaining some composure he spoke. "What I gotta know… I just gotta know why? Why didn't she come back for us?"

His eyes opened when Philip spoke.

"When I met Diane, she was so scared. She couldn't trust anyone, was afraid of most men she met. She was so beautiful. It took me about a year to win her heart, for her to trust me. She told me about her past, about your father, what he did to her, to you boys. She was terrified of your father. When she finally worked up the courage to go back, to get you boys back from your father, he threatened her. Threatened me. Said he would hurt you boys really bad if she reported him to the police, or to social workers. He made her sign the divorce papers and hand over custody of you boys solely to him. I urged her to tell the truth, to report him to the authorities but she was so scared he'd hurt you boys worse than he already did. We got married real quick and then Diane got pregnant with Susie. The second time Diane and I tried to go back for you boys, after Susie was born, you had disappeared. We couldn't find you boys and your father."

Philip stopped, allowing Booth and Susan to take in the new information. "Seeley and Jared."

It was Booth's turn to look shocked.

Philip nodded. "She talked a lot about you and your brother. It was the only way she could keep the memory of the two of you alive. She thought about you boys all the time, she felt so guilty, like she failed you by leaving you both with your father. She told me she had enough. She feared for her life, so she had to leave. She never stopped loving you."

Booth nodded. "My Dad, he ah… he left us two years after Mom did. My grandparents took us in. We moved. Probably why you couldn't find us that second time."

"So you're the big brother Mom told me about." Susan rolled her eyes. "Well one of my big brothers I could never measure up to. What did you expect coming here and telling us this? For us to welcome you with open arms?"

Brennan took offense, quick to defend Booth. "No. That was never Booth's intention. He's not looking for acceptance or for you to immediately forge some bond just because you share DNA. He just needs answers. You have had both parents all your life. You don't know what it's like – "

"Bones." Booth gently cut her off. "It's ok."

Susan shook her head and stormed upstairs.

"Susie!" Philip stood, calling after his daughter. He turned to look at Booth and Brennan. "I must apologize for her behavior."

"No it's ok. I think she handled it pretty well considering everything. I mean her mother's dead, her boyfriend cheated on her, and now this."

"Thank you Agent Booth. I guess I never knew Diane talking so much about you boys when Susie was growing up affected her so much."

"It's fine Mr Holland. I just – " Booth stood.

"Philip. You can call me Philip."

"Philip. Right. I just wanna thank you for telling me all this about my mother."

"I don't want you to think that she forgot about you. She loved you very much. You tell your brother that too."

Booth nodded. He felt Brennan slip her hand into his.

"She would've been so proud of you, seeing how you've turned out."

"I – " Booth choked on his words. "Thank you."

"We better go." Brennan said. "We will contact you again if there is anything new in your wife's case."

"I just want you to know that whatever's been said, it doesn't affect anything. We'll still do our best to find the murderer." Booth added.

"I believe you." Philip Holland extended his hand to shake Booth's.

Booth made it back into the SUV before the tears fell. "She loved me."

"She's your mother, she had to have loved you." Brennan returned the advice Booth had given her about her father years before.

"I guess I always knew, but I just never thought…. I mean to hear it being admitted out loud after so many years…."

Brennan placed a palm on Booth's face. His tears stung the wound on his cheek and he winced as Brennan swiped a thumb to brush the tears away.

"I think I'm better now. I mean we haven't found who killed her but at least I know now why she never came back for us."

"She did, just that you didn't know about it."

"These couple of days have been really tough, not just on me, but you too."

Booth moved his index finger to gently push her hair behind her shoulder. "You look exhausted."

"I am tired."

"I'm glad you came with me Bones, having you next to me, it felt like I could take anything they were gonna say."

"You were very gracious to your sister."

"She's in shock. I had some time to sorta process everything and I came prepared for the worst."

Brennan offered a small smile. "On to our next case?"

"Yeah. And hopefully we'd not be late to pick Matt from daycare."

"And don't forget," Brennan reminded her husband, "It's Friday."

"Right we gotta pick Parker from Rebecca's."

"And maybe we could go visit Hank tomorrow. That is if you want to."

"Yeah I'd want to. It's been some time since he's seen the boys."

Booth gunned the engine, "So you sure you're ok baby?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

""You're tired."

"So are you."

"You look a little worse than me, I mean you'd think it was you Jared got in a fist fight with."

Brennan smiled at her husband's light teasing, grateful he seemed to have regained some semblance of his old self before this case about his mother came about.

"It's about an hour and a half's drive to our next case. You could get some rest."

"I'm not that tired Booth."

He couldn't help but notice that she had closed her eyes already, even as he pulled out onto the street.

_**I must say this was a difficult chapter to write and I looked it over a couple of times. Hope it satisfies and answers some of your questions from the previous chapters. **_

_**Let me know how I did! **_


	10. Chapter 10

_**We are that much closer to season 6…. , apparently it's the first day of filming. Awesome! **_

_**Glad you all enjoyed my previous chapter. **__**LoVe BB 116**__** (thanks for your comment on keeping Booth in character, like I said, I try), **__**uscrocks**__**, Ger (yes the truth will certainly help Booth feel better about his mother's case and his past), **__**EmmyMayyy**__** (hopre you're feeling better, sorry I didn't really get what you were trying to say about the ad lol but yup Booth is worrying about how Brennan's been, doesn't he always?), **__**quonoeye**__** (glad you liked what I wrote), **__**Evanjalin64**__** (thanks! Like I said was a tough chapter to write), **__**mendenbar**__** (yeah I didn't think it would be in character for a big family reunion jump into each others' arms type thing, glad you agreed).**_

_**To everyone else who keeps up with my chapters, thank you too! Keep reading! **_

The family of four arrived at Willow River Retirement Community early Saturday morning. Parker was the first out of the car, followed by his father. Booth climbed out of the SUV, carrying Matt from his car seat and setting the toddler on the ground. His little hand instinctively reached to take his older brother's. The little boy idolized his big brother despite the fact that he mostly got to see him only on weekends. In return the seven-year-old loved being his little brother's hero.

Booth cast a glance at Brennan who was smiling encouragingly back at him. He was relieved to see that she was back to her normal self after a good night's sleep the night before. Their current case involving the dismembered body was safely in the hands of Clark and both Booth and Brennan had been gifted some much needed personal time. Brennan made her way quickly to Booth's side of the car, giving his arm a supportive squeeze.

Brennan waited for the two boys to start for the entrance to the nursing home and when she felt that they were out of earshot she spoke quietly to Booth.

"You ok?"

"You gotta stop asking me that."

"As I recall you've been asking me that numerous times as well."

"You look much better."

"I feel much better. Sleep was all I needed. You?" Brennan recalled their early morning conversation in bed, while waiting for the boys to wake. Booth had second thoughts about visiting his grandfather, convinced that he had done something unforgivable to the man who had raised him.

"I'll feel better once I talk to Pops I guess."

"Like I said, Hank doesn't seem like the kind of man to hold a grudge."

"I just don't like the way I left things that day."

"That's why we're here, to set things right."

"Hey are you guys coming or not?" Parker yelled impatiently.

"Be right there buddy." Booth replied. His hand went to the small of his wife's back and they started after the two boys.

They found Hank Booth talking rather animatedly to an orderly along the corridor leading to his room.

"Pops!" the boys shouted in unison, running to hug their great-grandfather.

"Hey! I didn't think I'd be seeing you two in awhile." Hank gathered the boys into his arms for a hug.

"Is there a problem?" Brennan asked, looking from Hank to the orderly.

"Mr Booth was smoking a cigar in his room again."

"I did no such thing."

"I'm sure there has been some misunderstanding." Brennan gave the orderly a smile. "We'll talk to him later." She told him softly.

The orderly nodded and went about his way.

"Temperance. So good to see you." He kissed her on the cheek then pulled her to him for a hug. "I really didn't think you'd visit." He cast Booth a meaningful glance.

"Booth thought you'd like to see the boys. It's been some time since we've came."

Booth who was standing a distance from his family nodded his agreement but remained silent.

"Pops did I tell you I scored the winning goal in my hockey game last week?" Parker said excitedly, grabbing the old man's hand.

"Play Pops, play!" Matt waved his hands wanting attention from his great-grandfather as well.

"Well why don't you all come to my room and we can talk, and play." Hank winked at Matt.

"I'm gonna talk a walk ok Bones?" Booth said, opting not to join his family with Hank. If the old man was disappointed he didn't show it, rather, focused his attention on the two boys.

Brennan scooped Matt in her arms and let Hank lead them to his room. The morning went by quickly, the two boys enjoying Hank's company. Booth decided to join them mid-morning. He was silent when he entered the room, making his way to lean against the room window, folding his arms defensively across his chest, watching his sons have fun with his grandfather. He wondered why he had the knack of hurting those who meant the most to him.

As lunchtime approached, Matt grew a little grumpy. He rubbed his hands over his eyes. "Mommy!" He whined, holding his arms up and reaching for his mother.

"I'm hungry." Parker complained.

"I think it's time we took the boys to lunch Hank. And it's a long drive home. Matthew's tired." Brennan explained, as she picked up her younger son.

"Yes of course." Hank kissed both Matt and Brennan on the cheek and gave Parker a hug.

"You make sure you win your next hockey game ok Squirt?"

"Of course we'll win Pops. We've got the best coach in the world! Right Dad?"

Booth gave a rare smile. "The best players too."

Parker ran up to his father, bumping fists.

"No smoking in your room Hank." Brennan added. "Smoking is bad for you given your current heart condition."

"I'll try my best sweetheart." Hank replied.

"Come on Parker, let's go bring the car round, your father needs to say goodbye to Pops."

Parker nodded, allowing Brennan to lead him out of the room, Matt still in her arms, waving goodbye to Hank.

As soon as the door shut Hank spoke. "You gonna sulk in the corner all day Shrimp?"

Booth unfolded his arms and approached his grandfather cautiously. "Just wondering if you're mad at me Pops."

"I'm not that petty, you know me better than that. I thought you'd still be mad at me."

""I'm not that petty, you know me better than that." Booth replied, parroting Hank's words. He took a seat next to Hank.

"Listen Pops, I'm sorry. About the other day, I said some stuff... I just, I know you did what was best for me and Jared."

"I shouldn't have kept the truth from you boys."

"Its ok Pops."

"Did you find who did this to your mother?"

Booth lowered his head. "No. Not yet."

"Find your father?"

"I'm not sure I want to. I don't think he's involved in this."

Hank eyed the still healing gash on Booth's cheek. "I'm guessing you told Jared?"

"Yeah he didn't take it too well, but I don't blame him."

Hank nodded. Booth continued, refusing to meet Hank's gaze.

"I talked to the man Mom married. He seems nice. Said she tried to go back for us. Dad threatened to hurt us if she tried. I believe him."

Hank nodded again. "If only she came to me, maybe I could've done something."

"It's not your fault. Whatever happened, with Mom and Dad. There was nothing you could've done. What Dad did, the drinking…he was an adult. It was his fault he couldn't handle coming back from the war. You shouldn't blame yourself. I know it's not your fault."

"Maybe if I stopped him from drinking, been a better father to him..."

"Pops, stop. There was nothing you could've done. He made his own decisions. And for what it's worth, you're a great father to me."

Hank offered Booth a watery smile. "It means so much to me to hear you say that."

Booth smiled, finally looking Hank in the eyes. "So no hard feelings huh Pops?"

"I was never mad at you Shrimp."

"Yeah me too, well okay maybe for a little while."

"You'd better go, Temperance and the boys are waiting for you."

Both men stood and Booth gave Hank a hug.

"I love you Pops."

"I know. I love you too Shrimp."

Booth found his family waiting out front in the SUV, the engine was running and Brennan was in the passenger seat. Parker was busy at his PlayStation Portable and Matt was asleep in his car seat. He climbed into the driver's seat.

"Everything good?"

"Yeah," Booth leaned over to kiss her on the lips.

"Yuck." Parker remarked, his eyes not leaving his game.

Booth smiled. "Yeah everything's good."

"Can we go now? I'm really hungry." Parker looked at his father.

"Yeah we're going buddy." Booth turned to give his son a smile. It was beginning to feel like things were going to get better from here on.

_**This was a relatively short chapter but I felt that what the next chapter is about needs to be separate from this chapter. **_

_**Don't be stingy on the reviews!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**EmmyMayyy, CMW2 (glad you liked the part with Parker and Matt), quonoeye, mendenbar (no things are still going good for Booth, don't worry), Ger (always like your in depth analysis of what I write, you're right again, Booth was feeling guilty and yup Brennan's pretty amazing. Just ask Booth) thank you my faithful reviewers every time I post a new chapter I can't wait to read what you all thought of it. **_

_**And to the others reading, take the time to drop me a review, I'd love to know what you thought of it. **_

Brennan was loading the dishwasher when she heard the doorbell ring. They had arrived home in the late afternoon and she had just enough time to make dinner. Booth was busy getting the two boys ready for bed. They would have to wake early the next morning for church, a family ritual she still refused to participate in. It occasionally brought about arguments between husband and wife but it had become one of those things both had agreed to disagree on.

When she answered the door she was surprised to see Susan Holland standing at her doorstep.

"Dr Brennan, is this a bad time?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Who is it?" Parker asked. Brennan hadn't noticed that her stepson had wormed his way past the half-open door and was standing between the two women. Brennan wondered not for the first time if Parker had somehow inherited his father's snipers skills but concluded that those skills were taught and couldn't be inherited.

"She's a friend of Dad's." Brennan replied.

"Oh. Hi. I'm Parker. Do you work with Dad? Are you FBI too?"

"Parker." Brennan placed a hand on the boy's head. "Go get your father ok?"

"Nice meeting you." With that Parker was off.

"You have a very cute son."

Brennan smiled politely. "Yes he is but he's my stepson. I consider him my biological son. I've known him since he was four." Brennan took a step back to let Susan in. "Come in."

Brennan led Susan to their living room.

"I came to apologize about yesterday."

"Yes you reacted rather badly but given the fact that it was a big shock to you your behavior is understandable."

"Who is it babe?" Booth came down the stairs, Matt in his arms. He stopped in his tracks when he saw who their visitor was.

"Ms Holland came to apologize."

"About what?" Parker who had followed his father downstairs, asked.

"I was mean to your father."

"Dad says if we make a mistake we should always apologize."

"Parker, it's time for bed, we gotta be up early for church tomorrow bud ok?"

"It's still early Dad!"

"Come on I'll read you two bedtime stories." Brennan reached for Matt.

"Okay." Parker turned to go upstairs as Booth handed Matt to his mother. He kissed his wife quickly on the cheek and ruffled his younger son's hair.

"Goodnight little one. And goodnight Parker!"

"Nite Dad!"

"Nite Dad!" Matt echoed.

Booth pointed to his t-shirt which had a wet patch on it. "I'm sorry I was giving my younger son a bath. Don't mind Parker, he talks a whole lot for a boy."

Susan smiled. "You have a beautiful family."

"Yeah. I know."

"I shan't keep you from them. I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I'm usually not like this. I'd like to think I'm a reasonable person."

"I believe you. But I wasn't offended yesterday. I understand. I didn't take the news too well when I first found out. It's just, I never meant to be some amazing big brother you never met but felt you had to live up to."

"She always talked about you and Jared. But I was wrong too. I always thought she loved you more than me. But now that I think about it, I don't think I've had turned out as well if she left me and my father. I suppose I had an easier time growing up than you did."

Booth nodded. "It wasn't all bad for me either. I had good times with my parents."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Then Booth asked, "So where does this leave us?"

"I'm not going to pretend Agent Booth that we can just be brother and sister after one meeting."

"I know."

"But I appreciate that you're doing everything you can to find her killer. Both me and my father are very grateful that you're still looking. The next time we speak I hope there would be some good news about finding out who killed our mother."

"Yeah, I hope so too."

"I've said what I wanted to say, I'd leave you to your family now."

"Thank you Ms Holland, for coming by."

"Call me Susie."

"Right. Susie. I'd offer you a hug but... " Booth pointed to his wet shirt again.

"A handshake then.." Susan extended her hand.

Booth walked his sister out the door and watched her drive off in her car. He finished loading the dishwasher then grabbed a cold beer from the fridge. He set the bottle down on the island in the kitchen, watching the drops of condensation form and roll down the side of the bottle. His thoughts were on the events of the past week. So lost in his thoughts he didn't notice Brennan had come into the kitchen.

"You're a very forgiving man."

Booth jumped slightly.

"Sneaky."

Brennan smiled, making her way to him, wrapping her arms round his neck, pulling him to her for a hug.

"You were eavesdropping on us?"

"Yes. She's still kinda hard on you."

"I don't blame her." Booth lowered his head and nuzzled his nose in Brennan's neck. "Boys in bed already?"

"Yes. I promised Parker he could wake early to watch cartoons."

"Smart."

"Yes I've an above average intelligence but you already know that."

Booth chuckled, his hot breath sending a warm tingling sensation down Brennan's spine.

"You're so modest."

"You're making me wet."

"Already?"

Brennan laughed the throaty laugh he loved. "No." Brennan pointed to Booth's wet shirt, then her own.

"Oh, sorry."

"You're forgiven." Brennan slipped her hand under Booth's t-shirt. "But this needs to come off."

Booth lifted his hands, allowing her to pull the wet shirt off his body and onto the floor.

"Much better."

Booth cupped her face in his hands pulling her to him for a languid kiss. Her hands moved to smooth the planes of his chest, as his slipped down her waist to her hips, pressing her closer to him. She could feel his arousal grow against her stomach as their tongues performed their familiar dance.

"Am I still making you wet?" Booth teased as his lips left her mouth to suck at her neck, a gesture she knew was his way of telling the world she belonged to him.

"Mmmm yes." Brennan threw her head back, enjoying the feel of his mouth on her skin. Her mind had the time to formulate the thought that before Booth any other man marking her would have felt offensive and barbaric but this felt arousing and satisfying.

She hooked a leg round his waist and his hands moved to cup her ass, squeezing gently before boosting her up onto his hips, her legs gripping him tightly.

"Washing machine or dishwasher?" Brennan teased.

"We have Parker remember? What if he comes down for a glass of water or something?"

"Bed then." Brennan whispered, her lips kissing behind his ear then taking his earlobe into her mouth and sucking.

Booth groaned, her actions making him want to be inside her already.

"Bed it is then." Booth managed to reply as he carried her out of their kitchen and headed for their bedroom.

He dropped her on their bed quickly finding the lone zipper holding her dress up. He unzipped her, sweeping the dress off in one swift motion. She unhooked her bra and stripped herself of her panties as Booth shuck off his sweat pants and boxers.

He was already hard and standing at attention for her and she licked her lips involuntarily at the sight of her naked husband. She hooked her index finger in a come here motion and he was crawling towards her in an instant.

Brennan lay back on the bed and opened herself to him. She ran one hand through his hair while the other settled round the nape of his neck. He kissed a trail down her neck, enjoying the soft moans she was making.

She wiggled herself lower and lifted her head to lick at his nipple causing him to groan in pleasure.

"I need you so bad baby." He looked down at her with love and desire in his eyes.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Brennan teased. She needed this as much as he did. She needed to know that in his time of emotional pain she was the one he could turn to, the one he could count on to help sooth the pain away. Hearing him voice out his need for her filled her with arousal and excitement and at the same time a conflicting sense of warmth and belonging she never felt with any other man.

He positioned himself, the tip of him brushing her wet folds. She opened her legs to him, hooking her knees round his waist as he pushed into her.

"I love you so much." Booth whispered as he began to trust slowly in and out of her.

"I know baby," Brennan moaned. "I love you so much too."

They moved in well practiced synchronized movements, bringing each other to their climaxes. As Booth emptied himself inside her, he felt the tension of his mother's case, finding out about her second family and the whirlwind of emotions that came with those events wash away.

Spent and out of breath, Booth rolled over, pulling Brennan on top of him.

"Don't ever leave me Bones." Booth said an inexplicable sense of insecurity taking over his post-coital feeling of warmth and satisfaction.

"I won't Booth."

_**Just some fluff and smut to top off the chapter. Somehow this chapter ended up shorter than I intended after editing it twice but I hope you all enjoyed!**_

_**Don't make me sound like some broken record, click the review button. **_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Wow you guys really stepped up the reviews. Thanks! At least I got more than the previous chapters. I sound like a review whore or something! Lol!**_

_**So here's my thank you list: **__**Osaka Kasuga**__**, **__**BoothanddBrennan**__**, **__**Evanjalin64**__** (oh man I'm so sorry about the spelling part I totally missed it despite goig over the chapter couple of times. Sorry it annoyed you, lol!), **__**quigely**__** (originally Matt wasn't in this chapter but I changed it cos you requested, see I'm not like HH), **__**quonoeye**__**, **__**mendenbar**__** (fluffersmut, learnt a new word), **__**Nedra1212**__**, **__**uscrocks**__** (Parker's seven in this story, I mentioned it in chapter 10), **__**cheysma2000**__** (glad you found this fic and reviwed), Ger (yup you know Booth's character so well and we'll be dealing with those Booth issues later on in the story and you were right about your earlier guess about Brennan chapters ago), **__**midid**__** (I think everyone's all about the BB lovin'!) **__**legggate**__**. **_

_**I know you all are gonna love this chapter. **_

"You wanted to see me Bren?"

"Auntie Ange!" Matt got up off the floor of his mother's office where he had been playing with his toys.

"Hey Handsome." Angela scooped Matt into her arms for a hug and a big kiss on his cheek.

"Yes, if you have a minute?"

"I was about to head home but for you Sweetie, I've got more than a minute."

Brennan had picked Matt up from daycare at the end of her work day and had headed back to her office to try to get a little more work done. It had been a month since the body of Booth's mother had been found murdered and there had still been no headway in finding the murderer. The other case that Booth and her had been working on had been solved. Matt had recently recovered from a bout of flu that had both parents worn out. It had been a quiet couple of days for Brennan, without any murders that needed her help to solve, a quiet couple of days that Brennan needed to recover from the busyness of work and motherhood from the past month.

"I looked at Booth's mother's remains again today."

"And you found something?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure yet. I noticed micro-fractures that I hadn't noticed the first time I looked at the skull. I hadn't had the time to look into their significance though."

"This is good right?" Angela asked as she twirled Matt round in a circle causing him to squeal and giggle. "A break in the case maybe?"

"Potentially." Brennan looked from her son to her best friend. "Matt doesn't need to hear this."

Matt didn't seem to hear what his mother said and handed Angela the toy truck in his hand.

"For me Handsome?"

"Yes." The toddler nodded.

"Thank you sweetheart." Angela took the toy from Matt, holding it to her to show her appreciation for his generosity.

"Play with paints?"

Angela laughed. "I don't think Daddy would be too happy if you got home with face paints for the second time this week."

"Paint!"

"Matthew." Brennan issued her son a warning.

"Hey, looks like you've got some interesting toys there, and I've got this." Angela pulled a lollipop out of her pocket.

"Ange, you know he's not allowed." Brennan protested.

Angela winked at Matt. "Why don't you hold on to this and go play in your playpen for a little while and we'll see about painting later ok?"

"Ok!"

Angela put the toddler in his playpen with some of his toys. Brennan was grateful that Matt hadn't kicked up a fuss this time. Angela did have a way with him. He was curious about anything and everything. She knew that his immense inquisitiveness was a result of his high IQ and although his thirst for finding out and asking about everything wore his parents out, Brennan found great satisfaction in being his mother.

Brennan moved from her desk to the couch.

"Have you told Booth?" Angela asked as she walked towards Brennan. "About what you found?"

"Shut the door please."

Angela raised her eyebrows in question but closed the door to Brennan's office.

"Why all this secrecy?" Angela asked as she sat down beside Brennan.

"I haven't told Booth. I don't want to get his hopes up. I feel like I've let him down. We always solve murders, always. Why can't we find who killed his mother?"

"Maybe because it's his mother?"

Brennan shook her head as she looked over to her son to make sure he wasn't up to any mischief.

"You think he blames me? Maybe a little?" Her voice held a tremble, betraying her worry.

"For not being able to find out who killed his Mom?"

Brennan nodded.

"You two work together if you're to blame he is too."

"That's why I need to find the murderer. If he blames me, it's understandable but I can't stand the thought of him blaming himself."

"Oh sweetie. As much as I know Booth wants to catch the person who did this, I'm sure he doesn't blame you."

"But he could be blaming himself. Knowing him he probably feels like he owes the Hollands too."

"But with what you found this morning, this could lead somewhere."

"Yes it could."

"You wanted my help with something?" Angela asked.

"Not really, not with the case."

"So what is it? The closed door? This is about something you don't want people to know. Spill Brennan." Angela put a comforting hand on Brennan's lap. "You and Booth haven't hit a rough patch have you? You guys had a fight about his mom's case?"

Brennan shook her head, then checked to make sure Matt was still engrossed in his toys. He was occupied with fitting various shapes into a shape sorter toy that Booth had got him the previous Christmas.

"I'm pregnant."

Angela broke in to a huge grin.

"I told you so."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Admittedly you were probably right when you had your suspicions but I myself had no knowledge of the fact then."

"Uh huh and you found out when?"

"This morning, at work. I bought a pregnancy test from the pharmacy across the street… I should've noticed. I was so fatigued and I've been late for almost two weeks."

Angela reached for Brennan, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you and Booth. When I first met you, this, you being married with a kids and another on the way was the last thing I pictured you doing. Booth must be over the moon. I'm honored really that I'm the first person you're telling again. I am the first right, Sweetie?"

"Yes Ange you are. But Booth… I haven't told him yet."

"You haven't? This is the reason you wanted to talk to me isn't it?"

Brennan nodded, her gaze on her son. "With Matthew, we had planned to have him, and we found out together. We hadn't planned on another baby."

"Are you crazy? Booth loves you! He would be more than happy to know you're having his baby. Again."

"Like I said, I'm not sure if he blames me for not being able to find his mother's killer. Maybe this isn't the best time to have another baby. Matt's just turned seventeen months, I always thought three years would be a better age gap if we were to have another baby. We didn't even discuss or plan for another."

"So you're all anxious because you and Booth had a little accident."

Brennan nodded, looking at Angela with a frown.

"The other night we had to get up at 3am the second night in a row to clean Matt up after he threw up all over himself and his cot. Booth said, and I remember his words clearly, remind me again why we decided to have kids?"

"I'm sure he didn't mean that he regrets having Matt."

"I know but he has a point. I mean there're gonna be many more sleepless nights."

"Sweetie, you are planning on keeping the baby right?"

"Of course I am. This baby is a part of Booth and me, conceived out of our love! I wouldn't dream of not keeping it regardless of what Booth thinks."

Angela laughed. "Has that man changed you or what? I would have never imagined I'd be sitting here hearing you say this."

Brennan smiled despite her annoyance at Angela's teasing. She grew serious again as she spoke. "I'm not sure how to tell him."

"Just tell him Sweetie. You know Booth. You know he'll be overjoyed. If anything, this baby is just what he needs right now. Just tell him."

"I know it's irrational but I can't help but be nervous about telling him."

"Well, if he takes this badly I'll go knock some sense into his head, but seriously Bren, he won't. You have nothing to worry about."

"You're right I should tell him. Tonight, after I've put Matt to bed." Brennan resolved.

"Mommy." Matt stood in his cot arms out stretched, "Carry me out!"

"I really need to get Matt home and give him his dinner."

"Let me know how it goes with Booth."

"I will."

"And remember Sweetie, if you need me to go over and kick his hot ass? I'd be more than glad to."

Brennan managed a smile. "Thanks Ange."

As it turned out things didn't go quite according to plan. Booth had to attend a meeting and got home several hours after Matt had gone to bed. Brennan was feeling fatigued again but waited up for him, determined to not keep this from him any longer.

They were seated at their dining table, Booth happily tucking into the mac n' cheese she had saved for him.

"This is awesome Bones. I mean I could have this everyday for the next thirty years and I wouldn't get tired of it. You're an amazing cook!' Booth beamed as he took another mouthful.

Brennan was too busy trying to think how to break the news to him to pay attention to him praising her culinary skills.

"I'm tellin' ya Hacker's been breathing down my neck about protocol and budget cuts all day, I swear he's just jealous that I ended up with you. But comin' home to this," Booth pointed at his dinner with his fork, " and you, just makes everything better."

Booth's mouth turned up in a mischievous smile, "When I'm done with this, I'd like to take you to bed and make love to you. Show you just how much I love you."

Normally his suggestive tone and charm smile would have been enough to peak her interest but this time her stomach did a nervous little flip. That plus the nausea that had been plaguing her for the past couple of days which she had thought was caused by the flu she caught from Matt, but was now clearly an early symptom of pregnancy, made her feel decidedly uncomfortable. Her mind told her to just get it over with.

"Booth?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm pregnant."

Booth looked up at her, forcing the mouthful of mac n' cheese down his throat with a gulp. His jaw dropped as he placed the fork in his hand on the table.

Feeling more unnerved, Brennan tried to explain.

"I know we have not reached an agreement on whether we should pro-create in multiples but given our high frequency of engaging in sexual intercourse coupled with the fact that we aren't always careful in practicing prevention… this was going to happen eventually. I know the timing couldn't be worse. Studies have shown that the ideal age between siblings is three years but having a baby now makes the age gap between Matt and his sibling two years. I also know you're still intent on finding you mother's killer and you think it's my fault we haven't found her killer…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Bones. Baby, stop."

Booth held up his hand to stop her from continuing.

"I think it's your fault? No, no, no. You've got it all wrong. It's not your fault and I don't want you to think that. We'll find whoever killed my mother but it is not your fault ok? I don't think that and I don't want you thinking that either."

Booth made his way to Brennan's side. He crouched down beside her, resting his palms on her thighs.

"You're pregnant?"

"Found out this morning."

"When did we?"

"Given the number of times we've been making love in the past month, it could be any time, but since I'm two weeks late I should think I'm about six weeks along. But I'll need Dr Carson to confirm that."

"And you're ok with it? Having another baby?"

"Admittedly I'm not looking forward to all those sleepless nights again, and it wasn't too long ago I weaned Matt, but yes I find myself happy at the fact that we're having another baby. Are you? Ok with it?"

"You kiddn' me Bones? Of course I'm ok with it, babe. I'm more than ok, I'm so happy, there isn't a word to describe how happy I am right now."

"Really?"

"Hell yeah. You're having my baby. Again! Best news I've heard since finding out about my Mom."

Brennan felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She smiled in relief.

He stood, resting his hands on the table on either side of her. He leaned down to kiss her on his lips.

"But we never discussed this."

"Not everything needs to be discussed and planned carefully. This is spontaneous, and this is gonna be great."

He crouched down again, smoothing a hand up her thigh, resting his palm gently on her still flat stomach.

"Hey baby." Booth said in awe, as if she was having his baby for the first time.

"Technically it's still a fetus." Brennan pointed out, smiling.

They had had this conversation before when she got pregnant with Matt. "Baby, it's our baby."

He smiled despite his annoyance. She looked cute and hot all at the same time and Booth just wanted to make love to her already. There was something about the fact that she was having _his_ baby that made him very aroused. There was also the fact that he knew being pregnant increased her libido.

"It's Daddy. Daddy loves you," Booth leaned in to nuzzle her abdomen, then lifted his head to capture her lips in a tongue clashing, passionate kiss, "and your Mommy very much."

He stood up, taking her hand and pulling her to stand. He held her possessively to him. "Come on Mommy, let me take you to bed, let me make love you."

_**I wanted to use this chapter to try illustrate the point that on the show cases get solved in a couple of days most of the time but in real life I do believe it takes longer. **_

_**I also noticed you all review more when I include smut into the chapter, but I can't write it for every chapter. You have no idea how hard it is to write smut, sometimes. Lol! **_

_**Do let me know what you think of this chapter, this new development in BB's life ie the baby. **_

_**This story seems to have a life of it's own the ideas for more chapters keep coming. **_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Lol ok you guys proved me wrong, You all reviewed even more despite ther being no smut in the previous chapter. **_

_**But I still have to thank you all: **__**Mysti D.**__** (yeah I haven't really decided if the baby's gonna be a boy or girl yet), **__**legggate**__** (thanks I try to include the rest of the squints in this fic but not a whole lot), uscrocks, **__**nertooold54**__**, **__**NatesMama**__** (appreciate you reviewing!), midid (hey check it out, this chapter opens just the way you hoped it would!), **__**jsiebert**__**, **__**McGoddess**__**, **__**EmmyMayyy**__** (yup knew the previous chapter would make you happy), Ger (yup glad you noticed the part about Hacker, lol), **__**Becksbones**__**, **__**BoothanddBrennan**__**, **__**quonoeye**__**, **__**quigely**__**, **__**cheysma2000**__** (thanks for reviewing and appreciating the effort I put into this), **__**Lisbon94**__** (heard that spoiler too, I really hope it happens), **__**squintsquash**__**. **_

_**Thank you again for all your time to put in those reviews. **_

Seeley Booth wasn't the kind of man to think during sex. Usually the only thoughts that occupied his mind during were how to please the woman he was with. And in this case it had been the same woman for two years now. But he couldn't help but think that night, as his beautiful, naked wife straddled him, her hands running down his pectorals to his abdominal muscles and towards his erect cock.

He thought about his childhood, his parents, his mother's case, about Parker, Matt and now the new life he and Brennan had created. He had similar thoughts and worries when he held Parker for the first time, and then when Brennan was pregnant with Matthew. And now the third time round, it seemed to hit him the hardest. He remembered Sweets' words to him about his deep reservoir of rage. He worried that he would inevitably become his father and he couldn't help the tear that escaped his eye.

Brennan noticed that lone tear rolling down the side of her husband's face. She had never had a man cry when she had sex with them, and she herself cried only once, after her first time with Booth, when she realized how it felt to have a man who loved her with his whole heart make love to her.

She was on all fours, her hair curtaining his face, as her mind raced to figure out what was wrong. She moved a finger to swipe the tear away.

"What's wrong baby?"

Booth moved his hand to touch her, his palm caressing her cheek then tunneling her hair. He wanted to assure her that it wasn't something she had done wrong.

"Nothin' Bones, it's nothing. I just… I was thinking about Parker and Matt and you and…" Booth's hand that was in her hair moved to rest on her lower abdomen, just below her belly button, "and our little one in there. It's just all kinda overwhelming right now…. How did I get so lucky?"

Brennan flashed him a warm smile. "I love you too."

She lowered herself onto him, effectively wiping all coherent thought from his mind. They both moaned in unison at their joining.

"Oh baby you're so hot and wet."

"Only for you," she breathed as she began to move, his hands on her hips, helping to lift her up and then back down on him. He jerked his hips up in measured rhythm, mindful to be more tender and controlled now that she was carrying his child.

The friction they generated together was delicious, and together with the pregnancy hormones that made everything more sensitive, she soon found herself nearing her climax.

"I'm so close Booth," she panted, eyes shut in pleasure.

"Not too far behind," he grunted.

Booth lifted his head, his abdominal muscles working with little effort, thankful for the daily workout routine he stuck to. He captured one dangling nipple into his mouth. His tongue licked the erect bud, then closed his mouth firmly over it to suck her, the way he knew she liked. His actions pushed her over the edge and he watched as she shattered around him, her legs clamping tightly round his waist. He felt her walls massage his length, and he jerked up twice more in rapid succession, exploding inside her.

"Oh Temperance, baby," he muttered as she collapsed on top of him. He held her close to him, running soothing circles round her back as they both caught their breaths.

He retrieved her underwear form the pile of clothes on the floor and found himself his sweat pants. He tossed her his t-shirt as he pulled on his sweats. The weather was getting colder and he didn't want her to catch a cold.

Climbing into bed once more, he pulled her to him, her back pressed tightly to his chest, his arm draped possessively over her still slim waist. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder as he pulled the covers over them, and was soon lulled to sleep.

Booth woke with a start, realizing his arms were empty and his wife was no longer in their bed. He blinked as he stared at the bedside clock. It was once-thirty in the morning. He thought Matt might have waked and he went to check on his son.

As he padded into Matt's room he found that the toddler was still sound asleep. Brennan was not in their son's room, neither was she in the bathroom or anywhere in their house.

He had a hunch as to where she might be and with a sigh pulled on more clothing. An hour later he was walking into the eerily silent Jeffersonian medico-legal lab.

"Bones. Thought I'd find you here."

Brennan looked up from the set of remains laid out for her to examine in the bone room. She saw her husband standing at the doorway, his sleep tousled hair going in all directions. He was still in the sweat pants he had pulled on after they had made love but he had an additional Flyers t-shirt and a hoodie pulled on now.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well let's see, it's two-thirty in the morning and I woke up to find that my pregnant wife was missing from our house so I was worried."

"Where's Matt?" Brennan asked a frown on her face.

"Relax, I told Max to come over. Our little boy was soundly asleep when I left home. Are those?"

"Yes your mother's remains."

"Baby you gotta stop. I told you, I don't blame you."

"I know."

"You should really give yourself and the baby a break. Come home with me babe." Booth walked up to her, wrapping his arms round her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I failed to mention to you at dinner that I found something."

"Yeah well telling me that you're pregnant trumps this." Booth grinned still not quite believing that he should be so lucky to be having another baby with Brennan.

"Finding who murdered your mother is important too."

"You've been looking at her bones again?"

"Yes, since we don't currently have a case."

"And?" Booth released Brennan from his arms moving to stand beside her.

Brennan moved the magnifier closer to the skull she was holding. Booth looked up at the screens that enlarged what she was trying to show him.

"Micro-fractures. I missed them the first time."

"Does it tell us what the murder weapon was?"

"Well the particulates Hodgins found a month ago were titanium, but this..." Brennan used her scalpel to trace the edges of the micro-fractures, "white substance doesn't look metallic to me."

"So this is something new?"

"Yes. I need to get this to Hodgins."

"Not at two-thirty in the morning honey, I'm sure Angela wouldn't appreciate it."

"This can wait till morning."

"Yes it can." Booth draped an arm round her shoulders, placing a tender kiss on her head. "Come on, I'm taking you home."

Brennan got in to the Jeffersonian at ten that morning. She had been annoyed that Booth had allowed her to sleep in but had to admit that she felt a lot more clear headed and refreshed than if she had got in at her usual time of eight in the morning.

By lunch she had new information for Booth. She hurried into the diner to meet him, slipping into the seat opposite him at their usual table.

"You know the white substance I found?"

"Hey Bones, I'm as excited as you are, but you've got to eat. My baby's gotta eat too."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "You're doing it again! If I had known, I'd have kept the news from you for a longer period of time."

"Ok I'm gonna let that one slide just because you're pregnant and I know how crazy those pregnancy hormones make you."

"If you're going to be overly protective and overbearing like when I was pregnant with Matthew - "

"Whoa stop!" Booth held up a hand in his defense. "I was not overly protective and overbearing when you were pregnant with Matthew. I was just and I am now taking extra care of you cos I know it's not easy being pregnant."

"You have no way of knowing that since there's no way you can ever be pregnant."

"Bones, baby." Booth sighed. "I'm getting a feeling of déjà vu here." He rubbed his face, taking a breath to contain his rising anger. "Do I have to remind you that the last time you were pregnant with Matt, you worked yourself so hard, your blood pressure went up and you had to be put on bedrest for a couple of weeks."

"Yes I remember that, but that was in my eighth month of pregnancy when the excess load and fluids in my body contributed to the elevated blood pressure. I'm not even showing yet. Our baby is the size of a peanut right now."

Booth threw u his hands in surrender. "Right ok, you win. Pardon me for caring about you and our baby."

"You're being sarcastic."

Booth sighed again. He had been through this and he knew her well enough to know that when she got like this even when she wasn't pregnant, she wouldn't stop till she had accomplished what she had set out to do.

"Look Bones. I appreciate what you're doing. I really do. I want my mother's killer caught as much as you do. But I'm your husband first, that little baby's father second." He pointed to her abdomen.

"I'm her son third."

"Ah you are stating your priorities. That I can understand."

"Yeah so you're my number one priority and I gotta make sure you're well fed since you're eating for two now."

"Fine." Brennan reached for a fry on his plate.

"Look one little fry isn't gonna pacify me."

"I know." Brennan reached for his half-eaten cheese burger. "I'm craving that right now."

Booth laughed. "Lucky for me it's not Indian food you crave this time."

Somewhat satisfied his wife was eating now, Booth ventured, "You said you found something."

"Yes." Brennan replied. "The white substance, Hodgins identified it as cocaine."

Booth was silent watching Brennan eat. Then a memory was jogged. "Her co-worker. I remember reading in one of the files she had an argument with one of her co-workers, this guy. She caught him snorting coke when she was workin' late one night. She filed a report, almost got him fired."

Booth stood up. He threw a couple of dollar bills on the table. "I'm not hungry anymore. I'm going back to the Hoover Building, gonna look through her case file again."

Two hours later Booth and Brennan were standing outside an apartment building, knocking on one Tony Murray's door. "FBI! Open up."

Booth glanced at Brennan, he wanted her to stay in the lab but past experience told him she wouldn't till their baby was almost due.

He heard a noise, then some scrambling behind the door.

"I hate it when they do that." Booth groaned. He cast Brennan a warning glare. "Stay here. Promise me."

He didn't wait for her reply but drew his gun and using his shoulder, broke down the door to the apartment. He crashed in, just in time to see the man he assumed to be Tony Murray heading for the fire escape.

"FBI!" Booth yelled, running towards the suspect and tackling him to the ground.

The suspect grunted as Booth yanked his hands behind him handcuffing them together.

"Tony Murray?"

"I didn't do anything?"

"Really?" Booth asked, keeping his knee on the suspect's back. "Answer the question, you Tony Murray?"

"Yeah so what?"

Booth turned to check on Brennan. She was standing inside the apartment now but had done as he had told her and kept away from the angry suspect on the floor.

"So you're comin' with us." Booth said as he pulled their suspect to his feet.

_**Ok not too much of a cliffhanger, but somewhat. Hope you all liked this chapter, I usually try to keep to one or at most two scenes per chapter but this one had multiple. **_

_**Click on the review button!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**BoothanddBrennan**__**, **__**EmmyMayyy**__** (tried inserting section breaks below)**__**, **__**NatesMama**__** (yes Brennan has come a long way, in this fic and on the show), **__**quonoeye**__**, **__**quigely**__**, **__**uscrocks**__** (Booth is always amazing, yes he is), **__**legggate**__** (boy or girl haven't decided yet), **__**nertooold54**__**, Ger (don't know about the names, it just popped up in my head!), **__**cheysma2000**__** (I know what you mean about not everyone getting treated like that)**__**, midid, **__**LoVe BB 116**__** (agree wish Hart realizes too), **__**mendenbar**__** (I think regardless of the number of times Brennan gets pregnant Booth wil always be like that, it's his nature), thank you for the reviews. Glad you all like overprotective Booth. **_

_**I must apologize, I seem to have gotten writers block. It took me forever to get this chapter out. **_

"Why'd you run Tony?" Booth asked as he sat opposite their suspect in the interrogation room.

"You said FBI, doesn't it make everyone run?"

"Doesn't make me run." Brennan who was sitting beside Booth replied.

Booth couldn't help but smirk. She had caught on to some of his interrogation skills in their years together as partners.

"The real reason you ran is because you did something didn't you? Something like murder?"

"What? No!"

Booth opened the folder on the table. "Let's see you were almost fired for snorting cocaine on the job."

"That was a long time ago."

"Three months ago isn't a very long time." Brennan pointed out.

"That was the past, I'm clean now."

"Then you wouldn't mind if I asked for a sample of your pee, you know, just to be sure?"

"Ok, ok I'm still using alright?"

"And Diane Holland she caught you the second time."

"All I'm gonna say is she caught me the first time. It wasn't even during work hours man! I promised I wouldn't do it again. She ratted me out, almost got me fired! She didn't call the cops I'll give you that, but she shouldn't have told the boss."

"When was the last time you saw Mrs Holland?"

"I don't know. News is she upped and died man."

Booth's jaw twitched in anger. But he kept his face even.

"You killed her." Brennan stated.

"No way! Why would I do that?"

"Because she caught you a second time." She continued. "You were afraid she would report you to the police this time, so you killed her."

"She didn't catch me. All she did was nag at me all day like she was my mother. It got real tiresome. Boy am I glad I'm not her kid."

Booth glared angrily at him. "We have your titanium golf clubs, and they're positive for blood. I'm willing to bet the DNA results would show that they belong to Diane Holland."

"I think I want my lawyer now. I'm not saying anymore about that bitch. Did us all a favor and died."

Booth stood, angry. Brennan touched his hand, worried he might lose control. As he made his way round the table, the door opened and Agent Perotta who had been watching from behind the two-way mirror in the next room, rushed in.

"Relax, I wasn't gonna do anything." Booth said, stopping inches in front of the suspect.

"I'm not saying another word till my lawyer gets here."

"Fine." Perotta replied. "I'll take over the interrogation once your lawyer gets here."

Many hours later Agent Perotta and Brennan walked into Booth's office. Night had turned into the early hours of the morning and Booth was reminded that Brennan hadn't eaten and Matt had spent yet another night with Max.

"You got him?"

"Yes " Brennan smiled.

"Tony Murray confessed to the murder after a night in custody. Said you mother caught him a second time. He was afraid he'd lose his job and arranged to meet her after her trip from New York. He killed her with his golf club. Fortunately for us he was using just before he arranged to meet her. He was trying to work up the courage to kill her." Agent Perotta explained.

"That's how the cocaine particles ended up on his golf club and inevitably on the micro-fractures on her skull." Brennan added.

"Ms Julian is confident we'll get a conviction."

Booth nodded. "Thanks Agent Perotta."

"Was my pleasure." She glanced at Brennan then back at Booth.

"You should probably take Dr Brennan home."

"Yeah I will, she looks exhausted."

"I'm not." Brennan replied defensively.

Perotta smiled not wanting to get in the middle of a Booth Brennan argument. "I'll write up my report, you write yours and we'll put them together and give it to Ms Julian."

"I'll have it for you by today." Booth nodded his thanks.

He waited for his fellow agent to leave the room before getting up off his seat. "Come on Bones, I'm taking you home."

"I have to finish my report too. You need all the evidence presented as well."

"Bones. You've been up two nights in a row. The report can wait."

"It'll only take a couple of hours to put it together."

"Do I have to remind you about when you were pregnant with Matt again?" Booth asked exasperated.

"Do we have to have this conversation again?"

"Baby we've caught the man who killed her. The report can wait."

Booth made his way to her, resting his hands on her hips, pulling her to him. He lowered his voice, his tone now softer.

"You have no idea how much it means to me that you care so much about my Mom's case. I know it's because you love me, and you would understand that I feel the same way about you."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Look Philip Holland's on his way here. You can help me give him the good news, then I'm taking you home."

****************** B&B *******************

"Thank you for coming in Mr Holland."

Booth, Brennan and Philip Holland were seated in the FBI conference room.

"Philip, as I said before, you can call me Philip."

"Right Philip. Thank you for coming in. Susie, she ah, she isn't here?"

"No she went back to New York. Life has to go on."

"Yeah. I just wanted to tell you that we've found your wife's killer."

"Your mother's killer."

"Right."

"It was her co-worker, Tony Murray. She caught him using cocaine on the job the second time and he killed her cos he was afraid she'd go to the cops and he'd lose his job."

Philip was silent as he lowered his head. "Yes I remember her telling me about that kid once."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you Agent Booth, for finding her killer."

"I wanted to catch him as much as you did, maybe even more than any other cases."

"If you could release her body to me now that you've caught her killer, I'd like to give her a proper funeral."

"Sure, I'll see to that by today."

"Thank you. I wish you didn't have to find her like that. I wish she could have found you earlier."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Philip stood to shake Booth's hand. "I don't know if you'll understand this, but I loved your mother very much. And when you love someone so much, their children, even not your own…. well you feel a certain kind of closeness, a bond, because the child is a connection to the person you loved."

"I can understand that." Brennan said. "I feel the same about Parker. Although he's not my biological son, I love him as if he was my own."

Booth couldn't help but quirk a smile at Brennan's comment. "I guess, yes it makes sense."

"She would have been so proud of you, as am I, for what it's worth."

Booth blinked back his tears. He couldn't help but think of the time when he would wonder if his mother was coming home.

"I have to tell Susie the news."

"Yes, of course."

"And you should come to the funeral, that is if you like."

"Yeah um Susie, she still doesn't really like having me around. I mean we aren't gonna jump right into being brother and sister."

"It would be good to come, say goodbye to your mother for real this time."

"Yeah I'll think about it. I'd maybe ask my brother Jared if he would like to come too?"

"Yes I'd like that."

Philip shook Booth's hand again. "I'll see you again."

They watched Philip leave, and Brennan looped an arm round his waist.

"You ok?"

"Yeah as ok as I can be."

"Philip is right. Going to her funeral would allow you to close things with regards to the subject of your mother."

"Like I said I'll think about it."

"You're gonna tell Jared?"

"He has a right to know. And Pops, he'd wanna know we caught the guy who did this."

"Don't get in a fight with him again."

"I won't, promise."

Booth turned in her arms, dipping his head to kiss her lightly on the lips. "Thanks. For what you said about Parker."

"I've said it to you before."

"Yeah well it's nice to hear you say it again."

Brennan smiled.

"Come on, I'm gonna feed the both of you and take you home."

_**Ok time to let me know what you thought of this chapter. We've got at least another two or three chapters to go before the story ends. RL is busy but I'll try to put up another chapter as soon as I can.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**First of all I must apologize for taking so long to put his chapter up. Real life has been busy and I have been going through some rough patches so I really didn't have the time to put this up. But here I am finally! Thank you for staying with me and this story and we will get it completed. **_

_**legggate**__** (I agree with you about wishing HH and Co would see that BB together on the show would work), **__**BoothanddBrennan**__**, **__**quonoeye**__**, **__**TravelingSue**__**, **__**nertooold54**__**, Ger (RL hasn't been too good lately, but here I am again!), **__**McGoddess**__** (girl or boy read on tot find out), **__**mendenbar**__**, **__**Lisbon94**__**. Thank you for your reviews. All of you thought Booth should go to his mother's funeral and so did I so here goes…**_

It was a cold windy day, the day they were to bury his mother. Booth had decided to turn up after all. He stood some distance from the crowd who had gathered round the casket. He was there with Brennan beside him and Matt in his arms. He watched as various people, people who were the part of his mother's life that he never knew about showed up to offer their condolences to Philip and Susan Holland.

A gust of wind blew past the cemetery and Booth subconsciously used his free hand to pull Brennan closer to him in an attempt to keep her warm.

"This is a waste of time." Jared remarked, standing next to his older brother. "Can't believe you talked me into coming."

"Your brother thought it would bring some sense of closure for the two of you."

"Yeah we always thought she was dead anyway Temperance so why open up old wounds huh?"

"Come on Jared, this will be good for us, I guess. We don't wanna grow old and regret not attending her funeral."

"So you're a shrink now Seeley?"

"Look let's just go talk to her husband then we can get out of here alright?"

"Glad you boys could make it." Philip Holland said as they walked up to him.

"This is my brother Jared."

"Jared. Good to finally meet you. Your mother spoke of you often." Philip turned to call for his daughter.

"Susie!"

She approached them. Booth removed his sunglasses, offering her a smile which she returned.

"Come meet Jared."

Brother and sister shook hands for the first time.

"Your mother once told us of the time you were five. You broke her favorite vase and you hid the pieces under the carpet. When she found them you said the cat broke her vase."

"But we didn't have a cat." Booth laughed at the memory.

Jared stiffened. "I think Matt's getting kinda restless," he reached for his nephew. "Come on let's go for a walk ok squirt?"

Matt who had been squirming in his father's arms, went immediately to his uncle.

Booth watched as Jared took Matt into his arms and walked away from the crowd "I'm sorry, he doesn't do so well in situations like this."

"But you do."

"Booth had to step up to almost being like a parent to Jared since childhood." Brennan explained.

Beside them Booth noticed Susan's jaw set in anger.

"Look Susie, I really never meant to be that person you couldn't measure up to in Mom's eyes. I'm sorry you feel this way. I'm sorry our mother had to make it seem this way but I know she loved you, like she loved me and Jared."

"I never said anything." Susan replied.

"Booth is very good at reading people." Brennan linked arms with Booth.

"Look I know this is hard for you, I just wanted to say that this is probably the last time we have to meet. I'm not going to pretend we're gonna get together at Christmas or Thanksgiving. Jared and me, we just needed to see her for the last time, you know, put our past behind us. You should too. No hard feelings ok?"

"Hey Matt's getting cranky!" Jared yelled from behind them.

"It is past his nap time." Brennan pointed out.

"No hard feelings Agent Booth." Susan added.

Booth nodded and shook Philip's hand again. "If you need anything," Booth handed Philip his card.

"Thank you, again."

"Yeah."

Booth looped his arm round Brennan's shoulder, pulling her close as they walked away from the Hollands, towards Jared and Matt.

"You ok?"

"Yeah. I think I'm ready to put this behind me, get on with life, with getting ready for our baby."

Brennan smiled back at her husband then glanced at her still flat stomach. "There's still some time before this one gets here."

"It'll go by real quick." Booth replied, remembering what it was like when she had Matt. "You're coping with the nausea and stuff much better. At least you aren't throwing up this time."

"Yes, the morning sickness is more bearable this time." She rested her hand on her abdomen. "I wonder if we're having a girl or a boy."

******************************************** B&B ************************************************

The months flew by as expected. Brennan was six month pregnant when Booth found him. He mused and thought about the information over and over in his head. He considered talking to Sweets but knowing the psychologist's fascination with the matter, he thought better of it. Booth chose to turn to the person he always turned to in his times of need.

Matt was fast asleep in his own room and they were in bed together. She was reading as usual, some anthropology journal and he was propped up on his elbows, pressing light kisses to her now swollen belly.

"Hey baby girl." He smiled against her stomach. It was only a month ago they found out they were having a girl. "I hope you have your mother's beautiful blue eyes." He looked up at Brennan as she lowered her journal. "She's gonna be a heart-breaker, I just know it."

Brennan laughed. "You have no way of knowing that."

"She's got a really hot mother. And I'm not too bad looking, if I say so myself."

"Yes I have to admit I find you hot too."

Booth sat up, taking her journal from her.

"Hey I was reading that!"

"I missed you." Booth murmured, pushing her hair back behind her shoulder and nuzzling her neck.

"I haven't gone anywhere."

"It's been awhile since we've made love."

"Oh." Brennan said, a smile on her face as she threw her head back, allowing Booth to press sucking kisses on her exposed column of neck. "Well being this big makes intercourse a little less convenient."

"I know." Booth replied, slipping a hand under the hem of her shirt, caressing her heavy breasts. "But I want you so bad. It's been too long."

"A month."

Booth groaned. "Feels like a lifetime."

"I agree." Brennan replied, running a hand through his hair and pulling his mouth towards hers. His mouth was hot and his tongue exciting as always. She nipped and sucked and enjoyed the feel of his tongue against hers, arousing herself and him at the same time.

She moved a hand below the waist band of his sweats, finding him erect and hard. He moaned as he fisted him in her hand, coating the tip of him with the bead of moisture that had formed there, then pumping him up and down.

Booth pulled his lips away from hers, panting. "Baby you keep that up I'm gonna come in my pants."

"We don't want that do we?" She teased, continuing her strokes.

"Ahh… Bones, baby, I need to be inside you so bad. You ready for me?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?"

He growled, pulling off his sweats and shirt, then removing her pants and shirt as well. Her skin seemed to glow in the low light of the room, and his eyes roamed her naked body, admiring the fullness of her breasts then the swell of her stomach that housed their baby.

She looked so sexy and even more so when pregnant. He had reminded her of the fact constantly when she was pregnant with Matt and did the same now when she was pregnant with their daughter. The fact that he was the one responsible for making her that way, for emptying his seed inside her and creating that new life with her made him want her even more. He felt as if at that very moment he could shout out that fact to the entire world.

"You gonna just stare or do something Booth?"

Booth smirked. "Lie down."

She complied. He kissed her again on the lips, then trailed his lips down her throat, lingering at her breasts to lavish them with more attention. He moved to her belly and then between her legs. His tongue licked her folds and she moaned her appreciation. He captured her swollen clit in his mouth and thrust two fingers inside her massaging her inner walls. She was warm and wet. She moaned in pleasure and he increased his suction on her clit, simultaneously curling his fingers insider her.

She shattered, her walls clamping down on his fingers as her juices flooded his mouth.

"You're so sexy," he said, licking his fingers that had been inside her. "So wet and ready for me."

"Being pregnant increases blood flow and sensitivity to my genital area," Brennan replied, still catching her breath.

"So what are you saying? I gave you an orgasm this quick because you're pregnant?"

"No," she grinned, "you're good."

Booth laughed. She turned onto her side, as he spooned her. Experience from having Matt told her that when she was this big the only way they were to have sex was for him to enter her from behind.

His hand cupped her breast and he pressed a kiss to her neck as he pushed his hard cock inside her.

"Oh baby, so hot and tight." He groaned.

"Let go Booth, I want to feel you lose control."

Edged on by her words, he began to thrust in and out of her as she pushed back against him. He was so wound up and turned on he knew it wouldn't take long for him to come inside her. He moved a hand to her circle her clit wanting to pleasure her a second time.

It wasn't long before he felt the familiar coil in his groin as his balls tightened. He circled and massaged her clit and felt her clench rhythmically around him as she moaned his name. At her climax he thrust hard into her once more as he exploded into her.

He collapsed behind her, panting. He stayed inside her as they both waited to catch their breaths. She felt him slip out of her, then roll on to his back. She turned to face him. He turned his head, looking at her. His hand reached for her, stroking her cheek with his fingers.

"You ok?"

"Yes very ok." She replied. Her eyelids felt heavy. She placed a hand on his chest, feeling the pounding of his heart under her fingers.

He was silent for a long time and Brennan thought he had fallen asleep. She was about to drift off to sleep when she heard his voice.

"I don't know what to do."

Puzzled, Brennan's eyes opened. "About what?"

"I found him."

"Him?"

"You know when we were working my mother's case? I had to look into the whereabouts of my father. We caught her killer but I kept looking. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"You found him?" Brennan asked, feeling wide awake now. It suddenly dawned on her why he was acting strangely moody the past couple of days. He must have had the information for some time now.

"Yeah, I found my Dad."

_**Okay, so it's been so long since I wrote something, this chapter feels a little off, like I could've done better. But I did put in a lot of effort into this, so do let me know how I did. **_

_**Also yup, I decided BB would be having a girl this time. Drop me all those reviews gals! Not sure when the next chapter will be up but it will be up, so stick with me on this one. **_


	16. Chapter 16

_**I'm back. This chapter is Booth-centirc, very Booth-centirc. I tried to keep him character. **_

_**legggate**__** (it was hard writing the funeral, so I couldn't stretch it out as much as I wanted to), **__**NatesMama**__** (high praise, thanks!), **__**dovepage**__** (I'm not sure, Susie's had to live up to their memory for so many years, she has to be somewhat resentful), **__**cheysma2000**__** (aww.. thanks!), **__**nertooold54**__**, **__**uscrocks**__**, Ger (thanks, things seem to be getting better but I'm weary to get my hopes up, glad you like the idea of a baby girl), **__**EmmyMayyy**__** (I haven't decided on a name yet), **__**RowdyRomantic**__**, **__**quonoeye**__**, **__**TravelingSue**__**, **__**mendenbar**__** (lol!), thank you for your encouraging words. I love reading your reviews and comments. And to everyone else reading and adding me to story, author alerts, favorited me and or the story, thank you!**_

_**All of you wondering what happens next, the answer is in the chapter, read on!**_

Booth sat in his rental car across the street from the nondescript barber shop. He had traveled across the country to be here and he had his qualms about leaving his pregnant wife and almost two-year old son alone back home in DC, but he hadn't wanted to make his now seven month pregnant wife travel this far. What he had to do he had to do alone.

Prior to this decision to come here, he had talked at length to Brennan about this and she had convinced him that he had to give it a shot. Try talking to his father, make amends like she and Max had. So there he was miles from home, watching his father, like he did when he was a kid. It made sense that his father would still be plying the same trade.

He felt like a sniper again, stalking his prey, only this time it wasn't someone's life he was going to end, and he wasn't exactly stalking. More like working up the courage. He recognized his father immediately. He watched as the now older Michael Booth cut the hair of strangers, just like he used to do in his father's shop when he was a little kid. He remembered his father making jokes and his customers laughing. He imagined his father was doing the same now as he watched the man whose hair was being cut by his father, smile.

Admittedly his childhood wasn't all that bad, he remembered the good times with his Dad too. _Just go up to him Seeley!_ The problem was, Booth had not idea what to say. What if his father didn't recognize him? Was he supposed to just go up to his father and say, "Hi Dad, it's me Seeley. Remember me?"

Booth had no idea what he expected out of this, was he looking for answers? An apology? An attempt to have a relationship with his father again? He sighed and rubbed his hands over his cheek. The stubble on his chin scratched his palms. He had been in Las Vegas since early that morning and after checking into a motel room and renting a car he had headed straight for the address he had scribbled on a crumpled piece of paper and stuffed into his wallet. He had managed to find his father, who had a string of DUIs under his name. It was logical, ironic even that his old man had settled in Las Vegas.

He had been sitting in that car watching his father for hours, never quite being able to make himself get out of the car and cross the street. As evening approached, Booth watched as his father closed up the shop, climbed into a beat-up old truck and drive off. He followed from a distance, a little worried that he might find his father driving to a nice little house where he had another family, just like his mother had.

He needn't had worried. His father drove straight to the Vegas Strip and Booth had the sinking feeling the years hadn't changed his father very much at all. He waited as his father walked into a casino. He knew better than to follow his old man in. Although Booth no longer gambled, it didn't mean he no longer had the occasional urge to try his luck. He must have had fallen asleep in his car because it was 2am when he woke. A LVPD officer was knocking on his car window.

Booth wound down the window.

"Is there a problem Sir?"

Booth was off duty and hadn't brought his badge.

"I'm sorry I must have fallen asleep." Booth replied, rubbing the sleep form his eyes.

"You need any help getting home?"

"No, no. I'm ah just visiting." Booth replied. "I'll be going now."

He started the engine, and pulled out onto the street. It had to be some strange coincidence, as Booth noticed his father's truck pull out behind him. Booth slowed, allowing his father to drive ahead. This time he followed his father to a bar, blocks from where they were hours ago.

No surprises there Booth thought and he wondered if he should even bother trying to approach his father. He fought the internal battle within himself, deciding between getting on the next plane back home to DC and going into the bar to confront his father.

The decision was made for him when an hour before dawn his father staggered out of the bar, evidently drunk. He wasn't sure if it was the son or cop in him, but Booth got out of his car and approached his father who didn't look like he was in any shape to drive.

"Hey!" Booth bit back the urge to call the staggering man "Dad".

Michael Booth turned. Booth froze for a second, then said nonchalantly, "You look like you need a ride home."

"Who the hell are you?"

Booth felt a stab of pain in his heart. His father didn't recognize him. It was dark and the street was dimly lit. Perhaps his father would have know who he was if this was taking place in the light of day.

"Just someone who doesn't want you to get into trouble."

"You a cop?"

"Not tonight." Booth paused. "Come on, I'll give you a ride. You can come back for your truck later in the morning."

"You're not some serial killer are you?"

"No, just trying to help."

The older Booth stood weighing his options, then replied, "Ok but if you try anything funny, I have a gun."

"Right."

As his father got into his car, Booth worried the old man might suddenly realize who he was but as soon as his father barked out an address, he was out cold, the effects of alcohol, knocking him out.

Booth drove to the address, a run down apartment building, not far from where his father worked. He tried to wake his father but the old man was out cold. He half-carried, half-dragged his Dad to the tiny apartment, finding a key, under a plant just outside his door. At that moment it struck Booth that even after all these years, he was still very similar in his ways to his father.

He helped his father into bed and settled into the armchair in front of the tv. He was determined not to sleep but was unable to fight the fatigue from the emotions that tortured him the entire day since he had arrived in Vegas.

Booth woke to protests of pain from his lower back and the pain from someone kicking him in the ankle.

"Ow!" Booth instinctively sprung to his feet, one hand going to his back, trying to soothe the ache there.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?"

Michael Booth had a gun aimed at him.

"Whoa!" Booth held up both hands. "Don't you remember last night?"

"If you were some beautiful young woman, maybe that line would've worked."

Booth didn't know if he should laugh or cry.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Michael cocked his gun.

"Whoa! Don't' shoot! Even if you don't remember last night…. Don't you know who I am?"

Michael stared intently at the man who was his eldest son, and it took a couple of seconds before recognition flashed in his eyes. He un-cocked and lowered his gun.

"Seeley?" Michael's voice was soft, barely a whisper.

"Yeah." Booth paused, forcing the word out of his mouth. "Dad."

Booth had spent so long trying to forget his old man. He was an old wound he never wanted to re-open and he rarely spoke about him ever, not even to Brennan.

"What are you doing here?"

Booth lowered his hands and shoved them into his jeans pockets. "I spent the whole of yesterday watching you at work from my car across the street. Then I watched you gamble your money away, get dead drunk and I probably saved your life by driving you home."

Michael laughed. "I actually got into your car?"

"Yeah you did."

"Well you needn't have bothered. I make that drive home almost every night. And I make it home safe."

"No surprises there." Booth scoffed.

Michael cleared his throat. "So it's been what twenty years?"

"Make that twenty-five."

"Long time."

"Yeah."

"I assume you turned out better than I did?" Michael asked as he put the gun onto the coffee table, reaching for a bottle of scotch. He offered his son a glass. "Want some?"

"It's a little too early for that Dad."

"Yeah you turned out better than me."

"I'm with the FBI now. But I was with the Rangers some years back. Served in the first Gulf War."

Michael laughed. "For what it's worth, I'm proud of you."

For some reason it felt forced, and Booth winced mentally.

"So I got any grandkids?"

"Yeah, I've got two boys, baby girl on the way." He pulled out a picture of Brennan, Parker and Matt form his wallet, handing it to his father.

Michael studied the picture then handed it back to Booth. "Your wife is pretty."

"Yes she is." Booth replied as he put the picture back into his wallet, missing Brennan terribly at that exact moment. He wished she was there with him.

"Jared?"

"He's good too. With the Navy."

Michael laughed louder. "You two decided to follow in my footsteps huh?"

His father's comment made him even more uncomfortable. "More like follow Pops."

"The old prick still alive?"

"Yeah. He's a good man Dad. Raised me and Jared after you left."

Michael Booth waved a hand angrily at his son. "I didn't leave. He made me!"

Apparently age hadn't tamed his father's temper.

"He was afraid you'd hurt us."

Michael Booth frowned. "What did you want from me Seeley? What are you doing here? You did fine without me all these years."

Booth was stumped. What did he want from his father? "I… I don't know. I guess. I never understood…. I mean… I just…. Why'd you do it? All that stuff you did to us…. "

"What do you expect me to say? I'm sorry? I was a crappy father, I get that. I did the best I could. You're a father you get that right?"

"I could never raise a hand to my boys…"

"You know when I held you and your brother for the first time, I swore I'd be the best damn father in the world. Look how things worked out. I drank and I gambled our money away, and your mother couldn't seem to keep her mouth shut and the two of you were always making such a ruckus."

"They're just excuses Dad."

"What do you want from me?"

"I don't know. I just…"

"You want me to say I missed you son, I'm sorry for all I did, all I was, let's make amends? I'm not that kind of father Seeley."

His father's words stung more than Booth thought they would. His father was still the same man who had walked out of his life when he was eleven.

"I'm not you." It just slipped out, his subconscious reason for being there. To find some sort of validation that he wasn't and would not turn out like his old man.

"You look just like me when I was your age. Drink a little, gambled more? Am I right?"

Booth didn't understand why his father still had the power to get to him after all these years. It dawned on him that this had been a mistake, like Jared had said, to come looking for their father.

"You came all this way, hunted me down to hear me say what? That you won't turn out like me? That your beautiful wife won't walk out on you one day? I'll tell you one thing I'm sorry about. I'm sorry that you went to all this trouble to come here, but you're not gettin' any answers. I can't pat you on the back and say I'm glad you're not gonna turn out like me. Truth is the apple doesn't fall that far form the tree does it now?"

Booth clenched his fists in anger. "I shouldn't have come here."

"You're right about that."

Booth shook his head. "I'm not like you, I'm never gonna be like you."

Booth opened the front door but had to deliver his line from his Grandfather. "Pops sends his regards."

There was a flash of regret in his father's face but Booth didn't' have time to react, instead he slammed the door and hurried to his car. His breathing was ragged and his hands trembled. He spent the next couple of hours driving aimlessly, trying to fight back the demons in his head and abate the boiling anger inside him.

That evening he found himself at the same spot where he was the night before watching his father enter the casino. _Just one game, one game to help me forget the pain, then I'm outta here. _There were a couple of hours more before he was due to catch his flight back to DC. He wasn't in a rush.

Eight hours later he had lost everything he had in his wallet and missed his flight home. When he drove back to the motel and returned his rental car, he felt as if he had committed an unpardonable sin. How was he going to go home now?

He thought of Brennan, heavily pregnant with his daughter, of Matt and Parker. He let them down. All of them. He had been sucked back into a world that he had thought he'd left behind years ago that night he kissed Brennan in the rain for the first time outside the pool hall. Suddenly thunder clapped and the rain poured down form the skies in Las Vegas, taunting him of the memory of their tequila laced kiss in the rain.

He walked in the driving rain the one block to a nearby bar and ordered the very drink he had gotten himself and Brennan drunk on the night of that first kiss. He still had his credit card, and he would make his way home maybe tomorrow but for now, he wanted to drown his pain and guilt away.

Sitting at the bar and pulling out his cell, he started typing out a text to Brennan, telling her how sorry he was, but halfway through he decided against sending it and snapped his cellphone shut.

Two shots of tequila later and in his opinion, not even close to getting drunk, he thought he smelt a familiar whiff of lavender. He turned, horrified to see his very pregnant wife staring angrily at him a few feet from the bar stool he was perched on. He was perfectly sober so he couldn't have imagined her being there.

"Bones?"

_**Just for the purposes of this fic, Jared's still with the Navy. And ok, the chapter was a little heavy on the drama and angst. **_

_**I always wanted to explore and wish they also would one day on the show, this past aspect of Booth. Like an alcoholic, being an ex-gambling addict must continue to be a struggle at east occasionally for Booth. Addictions are hard to fight, I know, I'm addicted to the show! **_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Sorry guys for taking so long again. **_

_**Shout outs to teamtucker, **__**RowdyRomantic**__**, **__**BoothanddBrennan**__**, **__**Evanjalin64**__** (I still think, it was an addiction, and even if he had in his mind to call someone, he would have gone and gambled anyway, but I agree let's hope we see some of that in season 6, his past), **__**NatesMama**__** (couldn't agree with you more. Booth is always made out to be perfect on the show but he's VERY flawed, thanks that you liked how things didn't end up fixed between Booth and his Dad), **__**xoc13**__** (sorry to hear about your own experiences), **__**mendenbar**__** (yeah Brennan flying was a little bit of a stretch but I've had friends flying right into their eighth month, and yes we want more of Booth's past in season 6), Ger (glad you liked the chapter, yes all that Booth's gone through made him succumb), **__**quonoeye**__**, **__**legggate**__** (sorry no Brennan and Booth's Dad meeting you hoped), **__**EmmyMayyy**__** (also sorry no, Brennan going into labor in the bar would be a little too dramatic, though in FF net we often do dramatic lol), **__**LoVe BB 116**__**, **__**cheysma2000**__**, **__**TravelingSue**__** (agree, some things broken can never be fixed). **_

"Bones what are you doing here?" Booth stood up from his bar stool, jaw dropping slightly.

"You didn't call, didn't come home, didn't answer your cell. What was I supposed to do?"

There she was seven months pregnant, her finger pointed at him, eyes blazing angrily at him. The guilt that Booth had been trying to wash away intensified ten-fold.

"I'm sorry." Booth shoved his hands into his pockets, fingering the poker ship he kept there nervously. That poker chip failed to work it's magic this time.

Brennan's tone softened. She studied her Booth. He was drenched from the rain, his hair a mess. He looked like he had been through hell. "It didn't go well with your Dad."

Booth nodded. This wasn't the place to discuss things with his wife. Patrons of the bar must have been used to seeing things like this, an angry wife in search of her wayward husband, because nobody bothered to look at them, each continuing with their drinks.

"Come on. Let's go back to your motel room." Brennan held out a hand, inviting Booth to take it.

"No… I'm so sorry Bones."

"Whatever it is you did or think you did, we can work things out. Come on."

Booth hesitated before taking her hand, allowing her to lead him out into the night. The rain had lessened considerably and they walked the one block back to Booth motel room hand in hand in the light drizzle.

Brennan felt his pain through the tight grip he kept on her hand. He fished the room key from his jeans pocket and led her into his room. She surveyed the room. It looked like he had hardly been in there. Before she could start, Booth spoke, his voice betraying his agitation.

"How'd you find me? How did you get here? Are you even allowed to fly? Did you check with Dr Carson?"

His tone angered her. She flew all the way here because she was worried about him but now he seemed to be accusing her of being reckless and irrational, not giving this much thought when all she did was think about whether she should make the journey to Vegas.

"I'm not irresponsible Booth. I gave this a lot of thought! I was worried about you, I thought you might need me here. I checked with Dr Carson, I would never put our baby at risk! I flew first class, I made sure I was on my feet most of the flight here to prevent deep vein thrombosis and I made sure Matt would be well taken care of by my Dad before came here. That good enough for you?"

"I'm just… I'm just worrying about you and the baby ok?"

"As for finding you, it wasn't difficult. You called the first day you got here to tell me where you were staying. I came here first but the desk clerk pointed me in the right direction. It wasn't that hard to find you."

"You shouldn't be here Bones. You shouldn't fly - "

"I'm seven months pregnant. Most airlines allow women to fly up to the eight month of pregnancy. If you hadn't disappeared, I wouldn't have been so worried about you and I wouldn't have had to fly all the way here. All you had to do was pick up your cellphone Booth!"

"Alright! Okay! So everything I that happened is my fault. I'm a lousy husband, probably suck at being a Dad too!"

Booth sank down onto the bed, burying his face in his hands. He wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. He felt so guilty he didn't even know how to begin to ask for her forgiveness.

For a moment Brennan was stunned, unsure how to respond to Booth's outburst.

"I didn't say this was your fault, and you're certainly not a bad husband or father."

Booth didn't reply, simply shook his head.

"Don't shut me out Booth."

"I'm sorry." He repeated unable to look her in the face. "This is all my fault. I'm sorry."

Brennan wondered what he did, what happened and as the wheels in her brain churned possibilities, it all clicked. Vegas, facing his father, an old addiction.

"How much money did you lose?"

It never ceased to amaze him how well she knew him.

"Everything I had in my wallet, couple of hundred maybe."

Brennan breathed a sigh of relief. She had initially thought he might have gambled away a larger sum of money.

"It's ok, you're forgetting I'm a best-selling author…"

"That's not the point Bones! I wanted to come home to you and the boys, I really did. But I couldn't. I'm just like him!"

Her anger had abated but his tone of voice made her blood boil again.

Booth finally lifted his head to meet her eyes. Brennan wasn't good at reading people but she could read her husband like an open book. She saw fear in his eyes.

"Don't leave me Bones. Just don't…"

She watched the tears fall as he turned to bury his face in his hands again. Brennan's heart softened and her heart ached for him. She sat down on the bed beside him, running a hand up and down his back. At that moment she felt his insecurity, his desperate need for her, his fear of losing her, of what they had.

"I'm not leaving you Booth. Why would I?"

"I don't know I… I'm just screwing up."

"Addictions are notoriously hard to fight and since giving up your gambling habit years ago, you haven't had a relapse until now. I'd say that's impressive."

"Right." He sighed, unconvinced.

"You need to get out of your wet clothes." Brennan stood, finding a dry set of clothing for him to change into. She watched as he peeled off his rain-soaked clothes and got into dry ones.

"You met your father?" Brennan asked as Booth stood, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah."

"He said some things to hurt you."

"Said I was exactly like him. Didn't even tell me why he did all the stuff he did. Just said I'm gonna turn out like him."

"You shouldn't believe him. I don't."

"Yeah you know what Bones, maybe he's right huh?" Booth ran a hand through his damp hair. "I should've called you. The minute I walked out of his door I should've called you. Instead I got all mad, walked right into a freakin' casino! I mean you would've thought I knew better."

"He's wrong about you Booth. He hasn't seen you in more than twenty years. He doesn't know you like I do. You said to me you know who I am, well I'm telling you I know who you are too and you're not like him. You're ten times better than him at least."

"I just, I always worry you know, about all the DNA and the genes and stuff and I don't wanna hurt you, hurt our kids."

Brennan stood, walking to Booth, her pregnant belly bumping into him as she snaked her hands round his neck.

"You never have and you never will." Her tone and nearness, soothed him, and he buried his face in the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath he inhaled the scent of lavender that he had come to associate with her.

"Like so many things in my life, I base what I say on truth and fact. Fact is I know you. Here are the facts. You're a good husband. You're always there for me, you support me through difficult times, you make me laugh, your love for me is very evident in your actions to protect and make sure I'm well taken care of, provided for, you satisfy my needs emotionally and physically. You're a good father. You're there for Parker, you go to his hockey games, you coach his team, you help him when he's down, you're there for Matthew. You feed him, bathe him, clothes him, play with him, put him to bed, make him laugh. I'm sure your father never did those things, well maybe he did some, but not all or not at a frequency you do. And those examples I'm quoting are only perhaps half of what you do."

He said softly. "But I gambled away my money, I made you fly all the way out here! I mean what if you went into labor or something on the plane?"

"I'm fine Booth. So is our baby. And while I understand it's the action and not the amount of money lost, I understand that you are in no way perfect."

"Yeah thanks Bones, you're doing wonders to my already deflated ego." Booth replied, feeling good enough to be sarcastic.

She detected the humor in his sarcasm, knowing he had to be feeling better to make such a comment, but she felt the need to re-assure him. "You are not your father."

Booth sighed, holding her tightly to him. He ran a hand up and down her back.

"I don't know why after so long, he still manages to get under my skin."

"You shouldn't let him."

Booth nodded.

"I'm not him." Booth whispered.

"No, you're not."

"I'm not him." Booth repeated with more conviction this time.

They daughter made a timely kick, one hard enough for her father to feel.

"Our daughter seems to think so too."

Booth smiled into her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Forgive me?"

"While I would like to day there's nothing to forgive, the fact that your actions made me take some risks in coming here.. and your relapse while expected still angered me…"

"So whadya saying Bones? You're still mad at me?"

"Would I be hugging you if I was still angry at you?"

"Experience tells me, no." Booth smiled, brushing a kiss over her nose.

Brennan smiled, tip-toeing to kiss him back lightly on the lips.

"I screwed up."

"Like I said you're not perfect but you've apologized."

"So we're good?"

"Yes. Except you have to promise me you'll talk to Sweets about this, when we get back home."

Booth groaned.

"Booth."

"Okay."

"Good. I'm exhausted after that flight here and that walk to find you."

"The bed isn't as good as home but I think it'll do."

"Yes, and we'll go home in the morning."

"Yeah Bones, home." Booth sighed.

_**Angst, fluff, you all like?**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**A million apologies for not posting for so long. RL has been crazy. **_

_**My list of thank yous: NatesMama (agree with you about them being a mess without each other), BoothanddBrennan, **__**quonoeye**__**, **__**McGoddess**__** (lol, nope nothing's happened on the plane ride home, sorry!), **__**EmmyMayyy**__**, **__**legggate**__**, Ger (yup Brennan is usually right when it comes to Booth), **__**cheysma2000**__**, **__**LoVe BB 116**__**, **__**mendenbar**__** (angstafluff! learnt a new word!), **__**RowdyRomantic**__**, **__**TravelingSue**__**. **_

"So any more urges to gamble Agent Booth?"

Booth rolled his eyes. He stared back at Sweets who was sitting across him in the psychologist's office.

"Like I told you the last time, I haven't had any problems since I got back from Vegas."

"I understand, but you know I gotta ask."

"Yeah, yeah." Booth sighed. He had agreed to therapy with Sweets after he and Brennan's return from his disastrous trip to Las Vegas.

"And had you and Dr Brennan had any arguments or issues regarding this?"

"No, we haven't Sweets. Like I said, I've got things under control. Really, I do." Booth fished his poker chip from his pants pocket and flipped it into the air. "This helps keep me straight. Plus I don't intend to let Bones down again."

"That's very admirable, but you did agree to these sessions. You body language suggest that you're bored."

"I'm always bored when I'm here Sweets, unless we're talking about a case."

"And the issue with your father, how are you coming to terms to your failed attempt to re-connect with him?"

"Look Sweets I know you're obsessed about this part of my like, this thing about me and my old man, but I'm past that alright? I mean he got kicked out of my life, I figured it's for the best."

"Now that Dr Brennan is due to have your baby any day – "

"Not our first child together, so I'm ok. I mean it had been a rough year, with finding out about my mom, to my Dad…." Booth rubbed his face. He never liked talking about his insecurities, maybe to Bones but not to Sweets.

"It would be normal in such circumstances to questions one's manhood, one's ability to be a husband and father-"

"Whoa Sweets." Booth held up his hands. "I've got no problems with my manhood ok? I'm all man." Booth smirked. "Just ask Bones." He subconsciously fingered his cocky belt buckle.

"And no problems with you being a father for the third time?"

Booth frowned. "I told you once and I told you again. Don't bring up my old man or any of that stuff that's related to it ok?"

He folded his arms across his chest. "I thought these sessions were about my gambling in Vegas, not about me and my old man?"

"Aren't those issues interconnected?"

Booth pointed a finger at Sweets, feeling his anger start to rise. Before he could utter a word, his cellphone rang.

"Hey Bones. I'm almost done here with Sweets."

"We're not almost done!" Sweets protested.

"I don't care if you are, I'm in labor."

Booth's heart skipped a beat. "You sure? But I thought you're not due for another three weeks?"

"I'm – " Brennan let out an agonized breath, as another contraction gripped her. "I'm sure. And this baby's coming fast, not like Matt."

"Ok, ok." Terrible images of Brennan having their daughter in the lab flashed across Booth's mind. He jumped up from the couch. "I'm on my way."

The Jeffersonian wasn't far from the Hoover Building, but he would need time to go to the parking garage to get his SUV. Booth mentally calculated that he would need ten to fifteen minutes.

"I'll be there in ten, you just sit tight and wait for me ok?"

"No – " Brennan moaned. She realized belatedly that she shouldn't had assumed this would be a prolonged labor like when she gave birth to Matt. Her contractions had gone from being ten minutes apart to what felt like less then five in a short span of time. The pressure she was feeling between her legs was immense and since it hadn't been long since she had Matt, she figured her cervix was almost fully dilated.

The contraction that hit her let her panting in pain.

"Bones?" Booth was running out to the elevator, pressing the down button repeatedly, cursing under his breath at the slowness of the elevators.

"Seeley." Cam's voice came over the phone. "I think Dr Brennan's not gonna be able to wait for you to get here. We're almost at my car. I'll drive her. We'll meet you at the hospital. And you better hurry if you wanna be there for the birth of your daughter."

"Right, I'll use the sirens." In the background Booth could hear Angela telling Cam to hurry.

"Just drive safe. We'll get her to the hospital."

Both snapped his phone shut, his heart beating in excitement. He remembered when Bones had Matt. She had been in labor for fifteen hours, She had almost broke his hand and had yelled and cursed at him, but it was all worth it. The way she looked, exhausted and sweaty as she held Matt for the first time had made him have a new found admiration for his wife. Despite her disheveled appearance then, she was the single most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He never knew she could look so stunning.

Both pulled up to the hospital entrance. Cam was there waiting for him. He threw her the keys and mumbled a quick thanks as he rode the elevator to the maternity ward.

"Temperance Brennan." Booth practically shouted at the desk clerk on that floor.

The clerk looked unfazed. She was probably used to expectant fathers yelling at her. Before she could answer, Angela appeared, grabbing Booth's arm.

"This way Booth." Angela took him to Brennan who had been changed into a hospital gown. "She's all yours. Good luck G-man. I'll be outside Sweetie!" Angela called to Brennan as Booth hurried to Brennan's side.

"Hey baby." He took her hand and kissed her forehead.

Brennan was unable to answer, only breathing heavily as she rode out her current contraction.

"You know if you still want that epidural – "

"No!" Brennan replied, catching her breath. "Women have been doing this for centuries without pain medication. Besides I didn't have medication for pain when I had Matt."

"Just saying nobody's gonna think lesser of you if you – "

"No Booth!"

"Ok, ok." Booth pressed another kiss to her head as the nurse monitoring Brennan's vitals offered him a sympathetic look.

Dr Carson, Brennan's OB walked in in his surgical scrubs. "How you doing Temperance? Seeley?"

"I just want to get this over with." Brennan groaned.

"She's fully dilated," the nurse informed.

"Then this should be over soon Temperance," he nodded at Brennan then Booth.

"But you need to see this," the nurse waved Dr Carson over to the monitors.

Another contraction hit, and Brennan moaned. "Just hang in there baby." Booth offered, running his hand soothingly down her back.

"We may have a problem." The doctor said, causing Booth to cast him a worried glance.

"Problem?"

"What?" Brennan asked, amidst her pain.

"The baby's heart rate is dropping fast. The fetus is in distress."

"Is she gonna be ok?" Booth asked.

"We need to get the baby out, now."

Dr Carson nodded to his nurses, "Prep for an emergency C-section."

"Emergency?" Booth grew increasingly worried.

The doctor turned to his patient. "We can't wait to deliver the baby vaginally, we'll have to get her out the fastest way possible, which is a Cesarean section. I know you have the urge to push, but don't."

"Ok." Brennan breathed as the contraction passed.

"Ok?" Booth asked.

"We don't have a choice Booth." Brennan tried to reassure her husband.

"Mr Booth you have to leave. Your wife is going to have surgery." The nurse tugged at Booth's arm.

"It'll be ok Booth." Brennan squeezed his hand gently.

"Mr Booth, you need to wait outside." The nurse addressed him with greater urgency.

This hadn't happened with Parker or Matt and Booth was now very worried but he understood he had to let the doctor do his job.

"I'll be outside Bones." Booth pressed a kiss to her forehead. Brennan nodded, as her vision tunneled and the anesthesia kicked in.

"So fast?" Angela asked as Booth walked out into the waiting room.

Booth ran a hand through his hair. "No. Bones needs to have an emergency C-section, something about the baby being in distress?"

Booth cast Cam a worried glance.

"It happens. Umbilical cord gets wound round the baby's neck, mother's blood pressure gets too high, stuff like that."

"Thanks Camile you're really making me feel better."

"Dr Brennan's in good hands, don't worry." Cam offered Booth a reassuring pat on the back.

It didn't make him feel any better, and Booth paced the waiting room floor. Half an hour later the nurse came looking for him.

"Mother and baby are doing well." she told Booth.

"Great!" Booth breathed a sigh of relief. "Can I see them?"

"Your wife's still in recovery, but you can see your daughter first."

"Right, thanks." Booth turned to Cam and Angela, "Matt, it's almost time to pick him from daycare."

""Already got Max to pick him." Cam smiled. "Go meet your new daughter."

"Thanks!"

At the nursery Booth cradled his infant daughter for the first time. She was wrapped in a pink blanket. Booth felt his heart swell the same way it did when he held Parker and Matt for the first time. He knew he would give his life for the little girl in his arms, like he would her brothers.

"Hey baby." Booth pressed a kiss to her tiny nose. "Hey Emma, Daddy's here. Your Mommy and big brothers can't wait to meet you."

Booth wasn't sure how long he sat there in the nursery holding baby Emma, but a nurse came to get him. Brennan was awake and asking for him. He returned Emma gently to her cot, promising his daughter he'd be back later.

Booth was almost at Brennan's room when he was surprised by visitor he wasn't expecting.

"Philip? What are you doing here?"

"I came to offer my congratulations." The older man extended his hand.

Booth took it, accepting the handshake. "How did you know?"

"I remembered you mentioning your wife is due this month, I called the Jeffersonian, some sort of coincidence huh?"

"Yeah I guess."

"I figured, you never had a father around when you had your kids. Maybe your father-in-law, but not your Dad. I thought I'd come offer a cigar?"

Booth laughed. "Thanks. I'll save it for later."

"You're a good man Seeley."

"Yeah, must be a sign, you're not the only one who's said that to me lately."

"Figured you may need to hear it."

"You don't really know me."

"From what I know about you, I think I'm right. It's a compliment, take it."

Booth smiled. "Thanks."

"Your mother would have been proud." It wasn't the first time Philip Holland had said that to him, but it was more heartfelt this time.

"Thank you."

"I'd better let you get to your wife and kid."

"Hang around, I'd show you my new kid?"

"I'd like that." Booth smiled before walking into Brennan's room.

Brennan had her eyes closed when Booth got to her room. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Brennan opened sleepy eyes. "How's Emma?"

"She's doing great. How're you feeling?"

"Pain meds are making me drowsy. I'm concerned I won't be able to breastfeed Emma."

"I'm sure they'll let you feed her once you're up to it. She'll be fine."

"I heard voices outside. Was that Philip Holland?"

"Yes."

"Everything ok?"

Booth considered Brennan's question. He had found his mother and laid her to rest, her killer brought to justice. He had tried to get answers from his father but realized he hadn't needed them. He had welcomed his baby girl into the world. He was married to the woman he loved and she loved him back. It was all that mattered.

"Yeah Bones." Booth smiled. It had been a rough year. "Everything's ok."

END

_**Ok guys thank so much for hanging around, this story's come to an end. Hope you guys liked the little bit of drama I added. I wanted the story to have an open ending and have a happy note to it. **_

_**Season premiere's next week! Though the spoilers don't sound positive for BB, I'd say give it a chance, we'll get our happy ever after with BB for real on TV soon. **_


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